Eton Mess

By Pascale Beale

Updated March 2026

DessertFruit-ForwardGluten-FreeNut-FreeVegetarian
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Eton Mess

Photography by Pascale's Kitchen Studio

This is my version of the old English school pudding. It originated at Eton College. It’s called a mess because there is no perfect way to assemble this and, well frankly, it can look a mess. However, as it is oh so delicious, no one will mind!

Preparation

  1. 1
    Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
  2. 2
    To make the meringues, whisk the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time and continue whisking until the whites are stiff and glossy.
  3. 3
    Drop large tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until dry and just crisp. The meringues should be a pale cream color when finished. Do not overcook. Start checking them after 30 minutes. They are ready as soon as you can peel them off the parchment paper.
  4. 4
    Place all of the ingredients for the jam, including the lemon rinds, in a large saucepan over medium heat. As the strawberries begin to render some juice, mash them using a large fork or potato masher. It’s okay if there are some larger pieces. The jam is supposed to be chunky.
  5. 5
    Cook for 10–13 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms. The jam is ready when it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
  6. 6
    Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until it forms soft peaks. Do not overwhip the cream.
  7. 7
    Spoon a little of the strawberry jam into eight glass dessert bowls or pretty glasses. Cover the jam with a few berries and a meringue. Spoon some of the whipped cream on top of the meringue. Top this with more strawberries, a spoonful of the jam and another meringue.
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