Gooseberry Raspberry Eton Mess Recipe

Eton Mess is a dessert that originated in England. It typically combines whipped cream, crushed meringues and some kind of fruit or sauce. This is a delicious way to use up any leftover meringues you might have lying around. This Gooseberry Raspberry Eton Mess pairs beautifully together as the tangy gooseberry curd and raspberry sauce compliments the sweet whipped cream and crushed meringues. You can substitute the raspberry sauce and gooseberry curd for any other sauce and/or curd. Think passion fruit sauce and lemon curd, mango sauce and orange curd or strawberry sauce and lime curd. Typically an eton mess is served messy style, by throwing everything together in a bowl and gently swirling together. I have layered mine in a glass to look fancy but it’s totally optional.

So how so I make this Gooseberry Raspberry Eton Mess from scratch?

Although it looks like there is a lot of elements to this dish, they all come together quite easily and if you prefer, you can buy most of them premade from the shop if you want to skip the fuss! This Gooseberry Eton Mess has the following layers;

• Crushed Meringue
• Raspberry Sauce
• Whipped Cream
• Gooseberry Curd

Crushed Meringue

This recipe is a perfect way to use up extra or old meringues. As they are paired with a sauce, it’s okay if they are a little dry as they will soak up the sauce and soften slightly. You can buy this in premade from your nearest supermarket, like this brand from Tesco. If you wish to make your own, check out my recipe here for mini pavlovas.

Raspberry Sauce

Another element that you can totally buy in premade is raspberry sauce or coulis. Tesco offer a tasty raspberry coulis you can buy. (This post isn’t an ad for Tesco by the way! I just really like the variety of products they stock) If you want to make your own, it’s super simple. Begin by adding the raspberries and sugar to a small saucepan. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat until the some of the raspberries have burst and become saucy. Allow to cool before using in the eton mess.

Whipped Cream

This can also be bought in ready to use if you don’t have the time or inclination to whip cream. Avonmore provide a delicious, high quality ready whipped cream that is stocked in most large supermarkets. If you prefer to make your own, add the cream and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand whisk, or electric whisk, whip until soft peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag and leave in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Gooseberry Curd

Gooseberry Curd is probably not a product you will find in shops. However, if you want to buy premade curd, there is an Irish owned brand called Follain that offer a delicious lemon curd sold in most large supermarkets. If tou prefer to make your own from scratch, check out my Gooseberry Curd Recipe, here.

So how do I assemble this Gooseberry Raspberry Eton Mess?

I was feeling fancy for the pictures so I layered this eton mess pictured as shown in the short video below. If this doesn’t interest you, simply add all the meringues and whipped cream to a large mixing bowl and mix to coat the meringues. Drizzle over half of the raspberry sauce and generous dollops of the curd. Mix gently to swirl together and heap into bowls. Drizzle the bowls with the remaining raspberry sauce.

How long will my Eton Mess keep for?

Once assembled and stored in the fridge, the eton messes are best eaten within an hour or two. The drier the meringues, the longer they will keep. If you want to prepare these further in advance, you can make up each component separately. The following times are guidelines for how long they can last;

Meringues: 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature (or whatever the best before date says if you bought them).

Raspberry Sauce: 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge, 3 months if frozen (or whatever the best before date says if you bought it).

Whipped Cream: 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge (or whatever the best before date says if you bought it).

Gooseberry Curd: 1 week is properly sealed and unopened in the fridge, 3-4 days once opened in the fridge, 3 months if frozen (or whatever the best before date says if you bought it).

Recommended Equipment

Interested in more Gooseberry Recipes? Check out my Honey Gooseberry Cake or Gooseberry Gin Custard Sauce.