We, as a family, are grazers more than anything else. I think this is why we love such big and varied meals as there is always something to pick at. If I have a bowl of pasta I get bored quickly with the same flavour but add in a dish of olives, garlic bread and salad with feta then its a whole different ball game.
The same applies to dessert. Boredom sets in when its a bowl of custard or a slice of Victoria sponge. Eton Mess on the other hand seems to have bits of something different in each bite. It can go from crunchy meringue to the tang of fruit to the creaminess of chocolate before you grab the next spoonful.
I found this amazing recipe via Pleesecakes and absolutely adore the whole concept. It is not for the faint hearted or those on a diet…. oh no no no. Great as a treat or even a celebration cake, celebrating Sunday is a thing right…or Monday, Tuesday…you get the idea!
Ingredients for base:
360g plain digestive biscuits
80g unsalted butter
3 tbsp freeze dried strawberries
Ingredients for filling:
750g cream cheese
100g caster sugar
240g strawberries hulled
250ml double cream
30g meringues broken into large chunks
80g milk chocolate flakes halved lengthways
Ingredients for Topping:
90g white chocolate
90ml double cream
230g fresh strawberries
80g milk chocolate flakes halved lengthways
25g meringue crushed
7 white chocolate buttons
2 tbsp freeze dried strawberries
edible flowers or fresh mint sprigs
Method:
Crush the biscuits and add the melted butter. Give it a good stir and then mix in the freeze dried strawberries and crushed meringue. Pour into a cake tin and press gently with the back of a spoon to level. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Place the cream cheese and 75g of the sugar in a mixer and cream together. Blitz 100g of the strawberries and the remaining sugar into a puree and add to the mix. Finely chop the remaining strawberries and add those too. Mix thoroughly. Whip the cream until soft peaks and fold into the mix. Spoon onto the frozen base and level with a palette knife. Tap the tin gently to release air bubbles. Push in some of the meringue and chocolate flakes so some are submerged and some sticking out. Pop into the freezer for at least 3 hours to set.
Remove the cake from the freezer when you’re ready to decorate. Remove from tin and place on cake stand or plate. The white chocolate drizzle is created by heating the cream until piping hot and pouring over the white chocolate. Stir until fully melted and drizzle over the cake, pushing to the outer edge with a spoon until it spills over.
While the chocolate is still wet add the remaining toppings. Allow to defrost in the fridge for 3-4 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
