Eton Mess

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups of crème fraîche
• 500 g strawberries (fresh, but frozen is also possible)
• 4 packets of vanilla sugar
• 2 cl sherry
• 30 g meringue(s) or (if too sweet)
• 6 biscuits (madeleines / small scones)

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

classic British, high-calorie, sweet

Quarter fresh strawberries, thaw frozen ones, sprinkle with two packets of vanilla sugar, and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk together the sour cream, crème fraîche, sherry, and two packets of vanilla sugar. Roughly crumble the meringue or madeleines. Purée the strawberries in a blender or with a hand blender. Now the “messing” begins (mess = mess, confusion). Tall-sided dessert glasses or red wine glasses are best for serving. Layer by layer, starting with the cream mixture, then the biscuit crumbs and strawberries, the glasses are filled; at least two batches per glass ensure the perfect taste experience. The real “Eton Mess” is made in Great Britain with what is known as “whipping cream” or “double cream,” which we poor mainlanders don’t know in this form. I think the mix of crème fraîche and sour cream makes the whole thing a bit more digestible and adds a pleasantly fresh note. Alternatively, you can also use double cream; the juice of half a lime adds a great flavor to the cream. In the original recipe (which actually comes from the venerable University of Eton and is a staple of the annual campus picnic), the strawberries are “fortified” with 2 cl of cherry brandy. But since our “little ones” don’t need a liver workout yet, I omitted it; it (almost) doesn’t detract from the flavor!