How to make Eton Mess with gin, Cointreau and balsamic vinegar-soaked strawberries!

That’s right, we are taking the classic Eton Mess recipe, loved throughout the land, to the next level with a little booze, a touch of vinegar and a couple of other tasty little tricks that will have your guests licking their lips with glee and begging you for the recipe. Scroll down to reveal all…

What ingredients does an Eton Mess contain?

Traditionally, Eton Mess is made with three ingredients: whipped cream, meringue and fresh strawberries or raspberries - you can find a great gin and raspberry Eton Mess recipe here.

For our recipe, we have kept those three main ingredients. However, we have put our own creative and delicious spin on them, which we think gin and dessert fans alike are going to love.

Let’s start with those boozy strawberries. For this recipe, we are macerating the berries in a mix of gin, Cointreau, balsamic vinegar, sugar, black pepper and orange juice.

Balsamic vinegar and strawberries are a mix that you have most likely come across before - the joy of mixing the vinegar’s sweet-and-sour tang with juicy, sweet strawberries is already well documented. But did you know that the bitter-sweet orange fragrance of Cointreau is a fabulous way to add new layers of fruitiness to that combination?

The gin then adds a wonderfully moreish, earthy juniper base that is simply divine. While the black pepper introduces a little warmth and complexity that is an utter delight.

Altogether, they give you a marvellous strawberry experience that is sweet, juicy, boozy, citrusy, tangy and rich in all the right places - the most delicious juxtaposition to the soft, voluptuous cream!

The cream in this Eton Mess recipe isn’t just any old cream. It is a mix of double cream, créme fraiche, vanilla and icing sugar.

Here, the lighter, brighter flavour profile of the créme fraiche elevates the double cream and enriches it. The icing sugar and marvellously mellow vanilla then give every mouthful a luxurious touch, reminiscent of Chantilly cream.

Of course, there is crumbled-up meringue throughout the pudding for that sweet crunch that we adore in Eton Mess. Premade or shop-bought meringues are perfectly acceptable here.

If you did want to make your own meringues, we have a great Raspberry Ripple Pavlova recipe here - the meringues made for that recipe will work just as well here.

How far in advance can you prepare Eton Mess?

We recommend that the cream mixture and strawberry mixture can be prepared a day in advance at the most if you’re able to store them in a fridge. However, we would not recommend combining them or adding the meringue until you are ready to serve.

This is to make sure that the meringue doesn’t lose its crunchy texture and that you get a nice ripple effect with the strawberries and cream. If combined too early you could find yourself with a pink mess.

What is the difference between Pavlova and Eton Mess?

It is said that the Eton Mess was created when someone accidentally dropped a pavlova at Eton College. However, it is unknown whether this is just legend - it is known that the dessert is traditionally served at the annual cricket match between Eton College and Harrow School.

Whatever the connection between the pavlova and the Eton Mess, the two dishes are quite different today. Eton Mess is whipped cream and strawberries with meringue crumbled through the cream. A pavlova is a meringue, often in the shape of a “nest”, with whipped cream and berries on top.

1. Start by macerating your strawberries. This should be done at least an hour before constructing your mess, but it can be done the night before.
   
   Keep around 100g of strawberries on one side for later. Place the rest into a bowl with the caster sugar, black pepper, orange juice, vinegar, Cointreau and gin. Stir until the strawberries are fully coated. Leave the strawberries in the fridge and stir them every once in a while to make sure they are all coated in the liquid that will form in the bottom of the bowl.
   
   Pro-tip for making this Eton Mess recipe:
   Taste the strawberry juice that forms as the strawberries macerate. If the vinegar is too strong, add another tablespoon of caster sugar. If the gin and Cointreau flavours aren’t strong enough for your taste then add a teaspoon of each one. Keep going until you find a balance that is most delicious to you.
   
2. Sift the icing sugar into the créme fraiche and whisk until fully incorporated. To a different bowl, add the vanilla paste and the cream. Whisk until soft peaks form.
   
   Fold the two mixtures together. Then, when you are ready to serve, crumble the meringue into small, bite-sized pieces and fold them into the cream mix.
   
3. To serve, either mix the cream, macerated strawberries and non-macerated strawberries in one big bowl and portion them out into dessert glasses, or layer the strawberries and meringue-dotted cream in the glasses so that they become a “mess” as your guests tuck in. Either way, you are in for a treat. Enjoy!

Start by macerating your strawberries. This should be done at least an hour before constructing your mess, but it can be done the night before.

Keep around 100g of strawberries on one side for later. Place the rest into a bowl with the caster sugar, black pepper, orange juice, vinegar, Cointreau and gin. Stir until the strawberries are fully coated. Leave the strawberries in the fridge and stir them every once in a while to make sure they are all coated in the liquid that will form in the bottom of the bowl.

Pro-tip for making this Eton Mess recipe:
Taste the strawberry juice that forms as the strawberries macerate. If the vinegar is too strong, add another tablespoon of caster sugar. If the gin and Cointreau flavours aren’t strong enough for your taste then add a teaspoon of each one. Keep going until you find a balance that is most delicious to you.

Sift the icing sugar into the créme fraiche and whisk until fully incorporated. To a different bowl, add the vanilla paste and the cream. Whisk until soft peaks form.

Fold the two mixtures together. Then, when you are ready to serve, crumble the meringue into small, bite-sized pieces and fold them into the cream mix.

To serve, either mix the cream, macerated strawberries and non-macerated strawberries in one big bowl and portion them out into dessert glasses, or layer the strawberries and meringue-dotted cream in the glasses so that they become a “mess” as your guests tuck in. Either way, you are in for a treat. Enjoy!