It’s not a British summer without a generous serving (or two) of a creamy, fruity, meringue dessert. While pavlova is often my go-to, I also like the more relaxed, throw-together nature of Eton mess. I’ve given it my own spin here by using a brown sugar meringue, which adds a gorgeous, caramel flavour and makes all the difference compared with shop-bought shells. Macerate the peaches in sumac and lime, whip up some cream and yoghurt, then pile it all high on a pretty platter for a perfect pud for a crowd.
Peach and sumac Eton mess
Prep 5 min
Macerate 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Cool 2 hr+
Serves 10-12
For the meringue
60g caster sugar
120g light brown sugar
3 egg whites (about 120g)
For the filling
4 ripe peaches
30g caster sugar
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp sumac
250ml double cream
150g greek yoghurt
2 tsp icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Fresh mint, to finish
Heat the oven to 120C (100C fan)/250F/gas ½ and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Mix the caster and light brown sugars in a small bowl and set aside.
Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on medium-low until they turn frothy. Turn up the speed to medium-high, then beat in the sugar mixture a tablespoon at a time. Once you have a stiff and glossy meringue, spoon tablespoon-sized dollops of it on to the lined tray, then bake for 80-90 minutes, until the meringues are firm to the touch and the paper peels off easily. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for a few hours (overnight is best) with the door closed until they have cooled completely.
Stone the peaches, then slice them all into eighths and put in a bowl with the sugar, lime juice and sumac. Stir gently to coat, then leave to macerate for at least 20 minutes.
When you’re ready to serve, put the cream, yoghurt, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whip to soft peaks. Break up half of the meringues and fold the pieces into the cream mix. Spoon half the mixture on to a platter and top with more broken meringue and some peach slices. Repeat with the remaining cream and meringue, then top with the remaining peaches and any juices from the peach bowl. Finish with a few fresh mint leaves and serve immediately.
