4 Eton Mess, Otherwise Known as the Food Love of My Life

 I've always been a fan of meringue.  My favorite cake is angel food cake with meringue icing- I make it for myself a lot, and then eat it myself a lot...

I digress.

When we were out to eat once, I saw "Eton Mess" on the dessert (pudding here- ALL desserts are called puddings) menu, and had to try it.

A dessert customarily served at Eton College, its popularity has spread as a summer treat.

A big bowl of meringue cookies, cream, and berries, it's my version of heaven-

and I've thought about making it at home, since it's so simple.

So I did.  I made a big ol' bowl of it for a a get-together at my friend's house.

I made several meringues, using this recipe (but only for the meringues), doubled.  

Some I broke into pieces and some I left whole.

 Sliced up some strawberries and tossed them with a dash of natural sugar.

 I didn't take a picture of the cream- but I used 400ml of whipping cream whipped on increasing speeds with a dash of natural sugar until stiff peaks form, then I whipped 150 grams of marscarpone cheese with a splash of vanilla extract, finally mixing the two together.  I used marscapone to help make the whipping cream sturdier- Eton Mess is usually made using double cream, but I prefer the taste of whipping cream.  However, since whipping cream is lighter, it doesn't stand up to stuff mixed into it.

I mixed up half the strawberries, the broken meringues, and the cream in the bowl.  I framed the bowl with whole meringue cookies, and topped the entire thing with the rest of the strawberries. 

Here's a shot halfway through us eating it- it's not the prettiest, but the dessert is called "Mess"!! 

I may have eaten three bowls... not counting what I ate whilst making it, or the two meringue cookies I've eaten since returning home.

Hey- the cookies are fat free!