Raspberry Rose Eton Mess

This Raspberry Rose Eton Mess with a subtle botanical flavour, topped with fresh berries and pistachios, is a luscious twist on a traditional English recipe.

Hello, everyone! I hope you are doing great, but if I needed to cheer you up, well, this Raspberry Rose Eton Mess would make any day just so much better!

A couple of weeks back (or more like almost a month) Andrew and I celebrated our (wedding) anniversary. I always make something delicious for a celebration, like this Coffee Hazelnut Nutella Cheesecake or this Mascarpone Apricot Lavender Crepe Cake. I usually go with a cheesecake (Not all of them had an opportunity to get on the blog! Lol) as it’s Andrew’s favourite dessert (Of course, after ice cream), but this time I opted for something different and elegant.

Elegant? Eton Mess? Despite the name and the way to assemble it, it’s a very elegant dessert to me, perfect for a special occasion. Also, the addition of rose notes makes it even more elegant. By the way, aren’t you sick and tired of all my rose ideas and recipes yet? Patience, a little bit more of your patience my friends – I think I have only one unpublished recipe left. I’ve been truly having a rose kick (Sorry lavender) this summer!

Eton Mess is an amazing dessert that I love very much; that’s certainly my kind of dessert (Please check my blog’s name if you forgot lol.) But my point is that it’s a super-forgiving and no-fuss dessert. You don’t really need to worry about baking perfect meringues. Cracked? Flattened? You intended to make a Pavlova which turned deflated? No worries – make an Eton Mess! Also, who cares about piping the meringues onto a baking sheet? Just dump everything in one layer and bake – we are going to ruin it anyway. And no way anyone should attempt to evenly layer everything; keep this for more sophisticated stuff!

Let’s quickly talk about this Raspberry Rose Eton Mess recipe.

• The combination of raspberries and roses is so glorious! I used homemade rose syrup, and I must note two things. 1. The rose flavour is very subtle. 2. Using the syrup isn’t the best idea as the meringues are extremely sweet! That’s not a BIG problem as raspberries and lime reduce the sweetness, but it was a little too much to our liking. The decision? Even simpler! When cooking the berries, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water and a few drops of rose water, and voila!
• I used frozen raspberries as I don’t see the point to utilize fresh ones when they’re going to be smashed anyways. I mean decide accordingly and use the cheapest solution;
• Usually, meringues are baked at low temperatures for over an hour, resulting in very crisp meringues; with a well-dried exterior and a dry-to slightly chewy interior. This recipe suggests baking the meringue at a very high temperature over a short period of time. This blasting method results in a crunchy and slightly browned top with a very soft, fluffy, chewy, marshmallow-like interior. If you prefer well-dried merengues, you can use a traditional method. Also, you can also buy some meringue nests in your grocery store;
• Some fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios for a finish.

So refreshing, so luscious! I would say this is a simple yet elegant dessert with a sophisticated flavour twist that could be served for the Queen! I hope you like it.

Sheers!

Raspberry Rose Eton Mess

August 19, 2020

by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

Category Dessert Tiramisu & Trifle

Persons

6

Notes

1. Usually, meringues are baked at low temperatures for over an hour, resulting in very crisp meringues; with a well-dried exterior and a dry-to slightly chewy interior. This recipe suggests baking the meringue at a very high temperature over a short period of time. This blasting method results in a crunchy top with a very soft, fluffy, chewy, marshmallowy kind of interior. If you prefer well-dried merengues, you can use a traditional method. Also, you can also buy some meringue nests in your grocery store.
2. Adding the cornstarch is optional and can be omitted. It works as a stabilizer (along with lemon juice, vinegar or cream of tartar), and it also slightly affects the texture, resulting in a more fluffy, marshmallowy type of meringue.
3. If you don’t have rose syrup, you can always make some simple syrup and infuse it with a few drops of rose water. Of even better – for this recipe use the combination of water and rose water. In this case, the dessert won’t be so sweet!
4. Always remember that you beat/whip egg whites that are room temperature while the whipping cream must be very cold.
5. This amount of sauce and whipped cream should be enough for about 6 individual glasses or one large trifle bowl. it is possible that you will end up having some extra meringues, but it’s so delicious on its own that you shouldn’t have problem utilizing it.

Ingredients

Meringue:

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature – see notes
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice, white wine vinegar or cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. cornstarch (optional) – see notes

Raspberry Rose Sauce:

• 2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries, thawed
• 1/2 cup rose syrup – see notes
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. of pectin (optional)

For serving:

• 1 cup whipping cream (35%) (very cold)
• 1 tbsp. icing sugar
• 1/4cup fresh raspberries
• 2-3 tbsp. chopped pistachios

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Be sure that the mixing bowl and whisk are free from grease (I usually wipe a bowl with a drop of vinegar) and that the egg whites do not have any bits of egg yolks in them. Also, egg whites must be room temperature.
• Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites, lemon juice (vinegar or cream of tartar), salt, and cornstarch if using, at low speed, 1 minute until frothy.
• Increase speed to medium and start gradually adding the sugar, 2-3 tbsp. at a time. Continue adding in the sugar until the whites begin to form soft peaks. Soft peaks stage means when whites begin to hold their shape but slump over back into the bowl. All the sugar should be incorporated when reached this stage (Add any remaining if you have).
• Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks. At this point, the peaks should stand up nice and straight. The whites will be glossy and smooth and the sugar fully dissolved.
• Spread the meringue onto the lined tray in an even layer and place it in the oven and immediately decrease heat bake for about 15 minutes. (If you see it’s browning too fast, slightly open the door and decrease the heat). The meringue should be lightly golden, but still soft, chewy and marshmallow-like. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• For the sauce, place the raspberries, rose syrup, and lime juice in a small saucepan and cook down, about 10 minutes, to thicken. If desired, you can stir in some pectin to thicken it up even more. Let it completely cool.
• In a separate bowl, whip up very cold cream with the icing sugar until it just holds its shape. If desired, you can stabilize it by adding some (1 tsp) of corn starch.
• Assemble your Eton mess just before you want to serve as the meringue is very soft. You can use individual glasses or a trifle bowl. There is no strict guideline on how to layer the dessert – just alternate the layers of broken meringue, raspberry sauce, and whipped cream until you fill the glass. Finish with some fresh raspberries and pistachios.
• Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

Tags

Raspberries,

Rose

Ben | Havocinthekitchen

Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.