Jamie Oliver's Take On A Classic Fruity Dessert Is Just Right For Hot Days

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Despite its muddled history, the Eton mess is a classic sweet treat of British cuisine. As its name suggests, the dessert is sloppily made with whipped cream, fresh berries, and meringues. Sharing the same flavor profile and textures as a pavlova, but differing wildly in terms of aesthetic presentation, the Eton mess is a simple favorite that's perfect for the summer season. British chef Jamie Oliver is associated with the Eton mess both because he used the dessert to protest the UK government in 2022 and because his recipe for the traditional dessert is a unique riff that simplifies the process and slims down the ingredients list.

For one, Oliver's recipe, which he shared on his website, calls for store-bought meringues. Though he does include tips on making your own meringue, the delicate sweets are notoriously finicky to prepare. Another wholesome swap Oliver makes is using a 50/50 combination of whipped cream with low-fat Greek-style yogurt folded in rather than all whipped cream. These simple substitutions help streamline the delightful dessert and keep the ingredients refreshing and light for warmer weather. While berries are the traditional fruit of an Eton mess, you can try making your own version using Oliver's clever ingredient updates and your favorite fruits.

Take a tip from Jamie Oliver and prepare an easier-than-ever Eton mess using your own preferred fruits and other ingredients. For example, give the dessert a tropical twist with mango and passion fruit instead of berries. Try using citrus flavored meringues like Krunchy Melts Lemon Crush Meringues to vary the tastes and play off of the tart and tangy Greek yogurt. If summer berries are still your go-to, you can find store-bought strawberry meringues to use for extra berry flavor. For more sweetness, try vanilla Greek yogurt rather than plain.

Think about both color and flavor when choosing the fruits, meringues, and yogurt for your Eton mess to come up with new combinations. You can even try theming your dessert to a specific color, giving a bit of order to the "mess." Try blueberry meringues with fresh blueberries, and a blueberry Greek yogurt for a spectacular-looking and tasting dish. Use Krunchy Melts Rainbow Vanilla Meringues for an extra colorful treat, and top it off with a bevy of the best summer fruits to match. With a bit of creativity and planning, your Eton mess will taste even better than it looks.