Raspberry Ripple Eton Mess

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites (room temperature)
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g icing sugar
• 300g fresh raspberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 600ml double cream, well chilled
• 100g mascarpone
• 30g dark chocolate, finely grated (optional)
• Mint leaves to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan)/Gas ½ and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Whisk 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. Spoon 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 — this dries them through to a proper shatter.
4. Meanwhile, tip the 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. Whip 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. Crumble the meringues into rough shards — some dust, some big crunchy pieces — and fold a third through the cream.
7. Layer 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. Shower with grated dark chocolate, top with a few fresh raspberries and a mint sprig, and serve straight away while the meringue still crackles.