About This Recipe
If you’ve never heard of Eton Mess, you are in for a treat. That classic British dessert was apparently “invented” at Eton, an elite boarding school in that country. It’s a simple combination of whipped cream, crumbled meringue cookies, and strawberries. I transformed the recipe into Raspberry Meringue Tartlets.
The ingredient list is deceptive, since the result is just sublime. The combination of strawberries and cream is classic, of course. But the addition of those little bits of crumbled crisp meringue changes the entire character of the dish and elevates it to another realm.
While I like that recipe, of course, I wanted to make little tartlets using Eton Mess as inspiration. So I changed the strawberries to raspberries and decided to add chocolate in two forms: cocoa powder and chocolate sauce. Wow!
One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to make. Just a few ingredients and about 10 minutes of work result in a fancy little dessert everyone will love.
Of course, there are endless ways to make variations on the classic recipe: Black Forest Eton Mess, for example.
And here’s a great tip. The little graham cracker shells are packaged in tin patty forms. Well, if you try to take the shells out of the forms, they will crumble to pieces. Here’s what you do: use a kitchen shears and carefully snip around the edges of the tin forms. Then peel the tin away from the cracker crust. The edges may crumble a bit, but the shell will stay mostly intact.
Why this recipe for Raspberry Meringue Tartlets works:
- The meringues absorb moisture from the whipped cream, softening them. This creates the structure of the filling.
- Raspberries are sweet and tart, complementing the sweet whipped cream and adding another layer of flavor.
- Mini graham cracker tart shells are easy to use and convenient.
- There aren’t a lot of ways to mess up this recipe. Just don’t overheat the cream. And choose perfect raspberries from the store.
Steps
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1
Done
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In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. |
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2
Done
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Crumble the meringues into the whipped cream mixture, then add the raspberries. Fold together. |
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3
Done
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Spoon the mixture into the little tartlet shells, mounding each one high. |
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4
Done
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Place the chocolate fudge sauce in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 10 to 15 seconds or until warm. Drizzle on the tartlet shells, then refrigerate them until serving time. |
