A classic Australian dessert with a twist: this Christmas Eton Mess is a simple, crowd pleasing summertime sweet with all the flavours of a pavlova but none of the fuss.
As the festive season fast approaches, aren't we all anticipating the delicious treats that make Christmas truly special? While Christmas pudding and custard is always a winner, in Australia, you'll often see a pavlova standing tall in the centre of the table.
The classic pav
The pavlova made its debut in the 1920s, and ever since, it has adorned Australian tables, especially during the warm and sunny Christmas season. With its crisp exterior and marshmallow-like interior, often it is adorned with bright red strawberries, slices of fresh kiwi and a drizzle of passionfruit pulp. While many parts of the world embrace a snowy winter during the holidays, Australians revel in the warmth of summer. The pavlova, with its light and airy texture, embodies the essence of a Christmas celebration under the Southern Cross. As Australians gather to celebrate Christmas with barbecues, picnics, and beach outings, the pavlova takes centre stage, offering a refreshing and indulgent finale to the festive feast.
Crafting the perfect meringue
To craft the perfect pavlova, one must master the art of whipping egg whites to stiff peaks, creating a sturdy foundation for the layers of flavour to come. The meringue is carefully baked, achieving the ideal balance of a crisp exterior and a pillowy interior. A picturesque pavlova means creating a beautiful dome of meringue, delicately swooshing the sides to create ridges and ripples. It can be stressful! Something you don't need to worry about come Christmastime. So let me introduce you to the Eton Mess.
Eton mess history
Legend has it that this deconstructed dessert came to be during the annual cricket match at Eton, where a pavlova dessert met an untimely demise. The resourceful Etonians embraced the chaos, combining the broken meringue, luscious strawberries, and billows of whipped cream into what can only be described as a delicious mess. This spontaneous creation quickly gained popularity, evolving into a cherished British dessert.
The eton mess combines all the flavours of the classic pavlova in a formation that is significantly less structured, making it a wonderful choice for your Christmas menu. The messier the better! If you are short on time, purchase your meringue from the supermarket, and play around with seasonal fruit and toppings, depending on where you are in the world.
Ingredients
- Egg whites
- Castor sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Strawberries
- Icing sugar
- Kiwi fruit
- Passionfruit
- Mint leaves
See recipe card below for quantities.
Variations
Here are a few swaps and changes you can make to suit any dietary or taste preferences:
- Vegan: for a vegan version you can buy or make a meringue using aquafaba. Swap the fresh whipped cream for whipped coconut cream.
- Curd: substitute the fresh passionfruit pulp for passionfruit or lemon curd.
- Fruit: use whatever fruit is in season. Strawberries can be swapped for other berries, mango and bananas also work well.
Equipment
- Mixer
- Baking tray
- Kitchen scale
- Spatula
- Serving bowl
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Spoon
- Sieve
Watch the video here. If you make this one, don't forget to tag me on TikTok or Instagram. I love to see it!
Christmas Eton Mess
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 112 g castor sugar (½ cup)
- 200 g strawberries hulled
- 35 g icing sugar (¼ cup)
- 300 mL thickened cream
- 5 mL vanilla extract (1 tsp)
- 200 g kiwi fruit
- Pulp from 1 passionfruit
- Handful fresh mint leaves
- Extra icing sugar to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 120ºC. Line a baking tray with paper.
- Add egg whites to the base of a stand mixer. Beat to stiff peaks, gradually adding castor sugar a spoonful at a time, beating in between until thick and glossy.
- Pour meringue mixture on to prepared tray into a rough round disc. Bake for one hour before setting aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, slice strawberries into halves and quarters and add to a bowl along with icing sugar. Toss well and set aside until juices begin to seep - about 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl add cream and vanilla extract and whisk until soft peaks form. Remove the skin from kiwi fruit and slice into wedges.
- In your serving bowl, add a third of the strawberries and kiwi fruit. Spread with a quarter of the cream, and then crumble over a third of the cooled meringue. Repeat, layering with remaining ingredients.
- Drizzle passionfruit pulp over the top and adorn with mint leaves. Dust with extra icing sugar before serving.
Caitlin S says
Making this for my family Christmas this year. Going to buy the meringue though because I don't have time to make it. Is this ok?
Andrea Love says
Absolutely, store bought will work great. Makes this recipe even easier to prep 🙂