Raspberry Ripple Eton Mess

• 4egg whites (room temperature)
• 1 tspcornflour
• 200 gcaster sugar
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 50 gicing sugar
• 300 graspberries, 250 g for the compote and 50 g to finish
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 600 mldouble cream, well chilled
• 100 gmascarpone
• 30 gdark chocolate, finely grated (optional) (optional)
• 10 gmint leaves, torn, optional (optional)

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan)/Gas ½ and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. 2Whisk the egg whites to soft, billowing peaks, then add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking until the meringue is glossy, stiff and holds a clean peak when the whisk is lifted. Rub a little between your fingers; it should feel smooth, not gritty. Fold in the cornflour and vanilla.
3. 3Spoon 6–8 generous meringue mounds onto the trays and bake for 75–90 minutes until crisp to the touch and dry inside. Turn the oven off and leave them inside with the door shut to cool completely, allowing about 2 hours; this dries them through to a proper shatter.
4. 4Meanwhile, tip 250 g raspberries, icing sugar and lemon juice into a small pan and simmer gently for 4–6 minutes until the fruit collapses into a glossy, spoonable compote. Cool to room temperature so the colour stays vivid and the ripples stay distinct.
5. 5Whip the double cream with the mascarpone to soft, ribbony peaks; thick enough to hold a swirl, loose enough to ripple. Stop the moment it looks billowy; overwhipping kills the texture.
6. 6Crumble the meringues into rough shards; some dust, some big crunchy pieces; and fold a third through the cream.
7. 7Layer the cream, spoonfuls of raspberry compote and more crushed meringue into bowls or one big serving dish, dragging a spoon through to streak vibrant raspberry ripples through the cream.
8. 8Top with the reserved 50 g fresh raspberries and any optional grated chocolate and torn mint. Serve straight away while the meringue is crisp.

Per serving

kcal

746

protein

5.5g

fibre

3.3g

carbs

51.9g

fat

55.8g