recipe box Wednesday

Fun with Nigella continues!

Today I share with you "Eton Mess" (so called as young boys attending school would create their own desserts from ingredients on hand...)

(picture from Food Network website)

I picked this recipe as strawberries are still available for reasonable prices, and also because she made it on the show last week and I have been craving it ever since.  Such a fun change from strawberrry shortcake!

Clearly, you can do all kinds of things to vary this dessert.  I will present it as it is in her cookbook "Nigella Express" (with me editorial comments....):

4 cups strawberries
2 tsp. vanilla sugar (plain sugar is okay too)
2 tsp. pomegranate juice (can substitute balsamic vinegar!)
2 cups whipping cream
4-6  purchased meringue cookies

Hull and chop the strawberries.  Put into a bowl, add the sugar and pomegranate juice, and leave to macerate while you whip the cream.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft.  Roughly crumble in the meringues, you will need chunks for texture as well as a little fine dust.

Take out about half a cupful of the chopped strawberries, and fold the meringued cream and the rest of the fruit mixture together.

Arrange on 4 serving plates or glasses or in a mound, and top each one with some of the remaining macerated strawberries.