Mini Eton Mess
I ought to concoct a list of standby recipes for egg whites, which are, for this home-cook, the dreaded remains of custard. Since I am often stuck with a jar full of rested egg whites with nothing to do with them.
Currently, the list is quite short: Make an airy cake sponge, macarons, or whisky sour.
After that, I’m at a loss.
This week, I tried mini meringue cups with refrigerated egg whites.
Personally, I rarely make mereugines. I find them altogether too sweet and the tooth-texture to be off-putting. However, my daughter requested I make them months ago.
Thinking a batch of mereugines might go to waste, I’d been avoiding the assignment. Then came a burst of energy and a house without sweets.
In an effort to fit the mixture into piping bags, I wore more of unbaked meringue than I made. Yet Eton Mess was one of the most fun bakes I’ve made in awhile. Just look how cute the little bowls of meringues turned out!
After a taste test, I must say, they’re delightful! It’s not a go-to dessert for me but I was impressed by the balance in sweet and sour. As far as texture, the stickiness of the meringues is broken up well with pillowy, chilled whipped cream.
My husband scarfed a few down after a long shift at work. The children quite enjoyed having a dessert they could construct their own way— some just straight up meringue discs; others fully loaded.
My version of a British-inspired Eton Mess includes balsamic vinegar coated berries in an edible bowl. I pulled inspiration from several sources. This batch made 12 servings so we sent some to neighbors. Although they look a mess, they taste wonderful. I felt like a real pastry chef with his bake.
Other than time, not many ingredients are required. Here’s the rough recipe:
Mereguine Ingredients:
4 Four day old egg whites
Granulated sugar
Cream of tartar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit.
Whip egg whites on high until the yellow tint has turned completely white and foamy. Begin adding sugar 1Tbsp at a time until glossy and very stiff peaks. Add cream of tartar and run the whisk a second more.
In batches, fill pastry bag with serrated tip. Pipe a disc of mereugine in flat concentric circles on sheet pan with parchment or silicone mat. Once each disc is about 10cm in diameter begin to lift the piping bag as you squeeze to create a rim 2-3 layers deep on top of the base circle. Think pottery, we’re going for a bowl shape here.
Bake for 2 hours on the center rack. Turn the oven off and let them stay inside to cool for another hour.
Berry Filling Ingredients:
1/2C blackberries
1/2C blueberries
1/4C strawberries
1tsp sugar
1Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch of black pepper
Method:
Toss all ingredients in a bowl.
Let sit in the refrigerator until ready to construct Eton Mess.
Whipped Cream Ingredients:
1C heavy cream
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
Method:
Whip on high to achieve medium peaks in a stand mixer.
Construct to you liking. Top with jam, if you’ve got it! Or powdered sugar for a wintery effect.