Eton Mess

This creamy berry dessert can be as easy or complex as you want – whip it up in a few minutes or vamp it up and make it more sophisticated. Either way, it’s delicious and my favourite dessert du jour.
Serves 4 to 6, depending on the portion sizes

Ingredients
-One box of meringues
-Two punnets of strawberries or any other berries you want
-One large punnet of thickened cream for whipping
-One-two tablespoons of sugar
-A few drops of vanilla
-Glasses to serve

Method
-Wash and slice the strawberries or other berries. Set aside.
-Whip the cream. Add a few drops of vanilla essence and one to two tablespoons of sugar, depending on how sweet you like it.
-Crush the meringues until they are a mix of crumbs and chunks (you don’t want them too small or fine).
-Mix the berries, cream and meringue together, spoon into glasses and serve immediately.

NOTE: If you mix the components of this dish too soon, the meringue goes soggy and you lose the crunch. See below for variations.

VARIATIONS:

-Mix one container marscarpone with three tablespoons brandy/rum and swirl through the mix before serving to add some booziness.
-Strawberry Coulis; make a simple strawberry sauce to drizzle on top or even swirl through. Make the coulis by putting half a punnet of strawberries in a saucepan with two to three tablespoons of sugar, a few tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of vin cotto or thick balsamic. Boil down until the berries are all broken down, then pass through a sieve to remove the pips. Allow to cool before using.