The most INCREDIBLE Black Forest Eton Mess - Chocolate Marbled Meringue Kisses layered with homemade Cherry Compote and Chocolate Whipped Cream! Swoon!
I have been on a meringue kick lately and my Black Forest Eton Mess is my new favorite summer dessert! So light, airy and oh so dreamy!
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Black Forest Eton Mess Ingredients
Chocolate Marbled Meringue Kisses
- Eggs Whites. Room temperature egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks.
- White Sugar. You'll want to use sugar with fine granules, such as superfine baker's sugar or caster sugar (UK). If you do not have those on hand, don't fret. You can blend regular granulated white sugar in the food processor for about 3 minutes.
- Cream of Tartar. This is an acid that will help stabilize the egg whites.
- Vanilla. I prefer using vanilla paste or vanilla extract as it adds more flavor, but you can use vanilla extract too.
- Dark Chocolate. Use a good quality chocolate bar. I'm using their 62% bittersweet bar.
Homemade Cherry Compote
- You can find my easy Cherry Compote recipe here!
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Heavy Whipping Cream (Double Cream). Heavy cream will be whipped to medium peaks.
- Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar). Will lightly sweeten the whipped cream.
- Cocoa Powder. Use Dutch-process cocoa powder for bold chocolate flavor.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Black Forest Eton Mess Instructions
Step 1. Make the Cherry Compote - The recipe can be found here. Make it ahead and store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Step 2. Make the Chocolate Marbled Meringue Kisses - Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200ºF (95ºC). Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 3. Separate the egg whites from the yolks by passing the egg whites through your hand rather than passing it back and forth with the shells. The shells are sharp and can pierce the yolk and can fall into your mixture.
💡Tip
Save your egg yolks to make Easy Lemon Curd or Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream!
Step 4. Using a hand or stand-mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract on medium speed until frothy. About 3 minutes.
Step 5. With the mixer still running on medium speed, slowly add fine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Allow the sugar to fully incorporate before adding the next tablespoon, about 30 seconds in between. Beat mixture until you get stiff peaks, about 10 to 15 minutes. You'll know your meringue is done when it's shiny and has a thick marshmallowy texture that can hold a nice peak.
💡 Tip
Make sure your sugar has completely dissolved! You can easily check by rubbing a bit of meringue in between your fingers. If it's still gritty and not smooth, continue beating on medium until smooth.
Step 6. Finely chop your chocolate and melt over a double boiler or microwave. Gently fold melted chocolate into the meringue, making sure to not overmix! You don't want to lose the swirls. Two to three folds is sufficient.
Step 7. Transfer the meringue in a large piping bag fitted with a large French Star Tip (this is the one I'm using) or a regular open Star Tip. These are not affiliate links.
Step 8. Add small dollops of meringue to the corners of your baking sheet or baking tray and press the parchment paper down. This will help anchor the parchment paper, making it easier to pipe. Pipe 1.5 inch (3.8cm) meringue kisses on to your baking sheets, spacing them at least an inch apart. I pipped about 50 cookies.
Step 9. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes and then turn the oven off and no not open the oven door for an additional 1 to 2 hours. The meringue cookies are done when they are dried throughout. You'll be able to lift them off the baking sheet easily and they will feel very light and dry.
Step 10. Make the Chocolate Whipped Cream - In a large mixing bowl, add cold heavy whipping cream, sifted cocoa powder and sifted powdered sugar. With a hand-held mixer and on medium speed, whip the cream until medium peaks. Do not overmix!
Step 11. Assemble - In 4 to 6 small clear glasses, jars or bowls, layer the chocolate whipped cream, cherry compote and crushed meringue kisses, creating as many layers as you'd like. Garnish with extra whole meringue cookies, sliced almonds and fresh cherries if you'd like. ENJOY!
My coupe glasses are shallow, so I started with crushed cookies, followed by the chocolate cream and ended with cherry compote.
Expert Tips!
Use fresh eggs. Fresh eggs whip up better and is more stable. Also make sure you're not using egg whites from the carton.
Use room temperature egg whites. Room temperature egg whites whip faster than cold egg whites and are more voluminous. Submerge your eggs in a bowl of hot tap water for 30 minutes. Swap out with fresh hot tap water half way through.
Seperate your egg white by using the hand method. When separating the egg whites from the yolks, pass the egg whites through your hand rather than passing it back and forth with the shells. The shells are sharp and can pierce the yolk and can fall into your mixture. Trust me, this has happened to me and it's very frustrating.
Use superfine sugar. You can use caster sugar or superfine sugar. I used C&H Sugar which is quite fine, but you can also blend it in the food processor as well.
Slow and steady wins the race. Whip the egg whites on medium speed and slowly add your sugar.
Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved. You can test this by rubbing a little bit of the merguine in between your fingers. It should feel smooth and not gritty.
Don't open the oven door. Extreme change in temperature can cause the meringue to crack and deflate.
Assemble right before serving. It's important to assemble your Eton Mess right before serving because the moment you add whipped cream and fruit compote, it will start to soften the longer it sits.
DO NOT make meringue when it's humid. Meringue contains a lot of sugar and sugar likes to absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. The excess moisture can cause weeping and can prevent the meringue from drying out completely. Don't even run your dishwasher!
Variations
- Meringue. Omit the melted chocolate and make vanilla meringue kisses instead.
- Fruit Compote. Not a fan of cherries? You can substitute with any season fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and peaches.
- Whipped Cream. You can also make vanilla whipped cream. Just omit the cocoa powder and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste or extract.
Storage
- Meringue Kisses. Store any leftover meringue in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 7 to 10 days.
- Cherry Compote. Store in an airtight canning jar in the fridge for up to 7 days!
- Eton Mess. Assembled Eton Mess is best eaten right away! However, if you have leftovers, store in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for about 3 days.
FAQ
Eton mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries or other berries, meringue, and whipped cream.
The components can definitely be made ahead! The meringue kisses can be made 7 to 10 days ahead and cherry compote can be made up to 7 days in advanced. The chocolate whipped cream can be made a few hours ahead. Just cover with cling wrap and keep in the fridge. I would assemble everything right before serving though.
Cream of tartar, also known as potassium bi-tartrate or tartaric acid, is a by-product of grapes, when they are fermented into wine. It's not creamy at all, but rather, a dry powder. When added to egg whites, cream of tartar helps it stabilize. This means perfect, light-as-air meringues. You can find it in every spice aisle.
Yes you can! If you don't have time to make homemade meringue cookies, you can use store-bought.
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📖 Recipe
Black Forest Eton Mess
INGREDIENTS
Homemade Cherry Compote
- A Batch of my Easy Cherry Compote
Chocolate Marbled Meringue Kisses
- 3 Large Egg Whites room temp
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- ¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ⅔ Cup (132g) Fine White Sugar
- 1.5 Oz (42g) Dark Chocolate Bar
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 Pint (473g) Heavy Whipped Cream cold
- ⅓ Cup (38g) Powdered Sugar
- ¼ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (27g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder sifted
Instructions
Make Cherry Compote (recipe above)
Make Chocolate Marbled Meringue Kisses
- Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200ºF (95ºC). Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks by passing the egg whites through your hand rather than passing it back and forth with the shells. The shells are sharp and can pierce the yolk and can fall into your mixture.
- Using a hand or stand-mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract on medium speed until frothy. About 3 minutes.3 Large Egg Whites¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar½ Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- With the mixer still running on medium speed, slowly add fine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Allow the sugar to fully incorporate before adding the next tablespoon, about 30 seconds in between. Beat mixture until you get stiff peaks, about 10 to 15 minutes. You'll know your meringue is done when it's shiny and has a thick marshmallowy texture that can hold a nice peak. Tip: Make sure your sugar has completely dissolved, by rubbing a bit of meringue in between your fingers. If it's still gritty and not smooth, continue beating on medium until smooth.⅔ Cup (132g) Fine White Sugar
- Finely chop your chocolate and melt over a double boiler or microwave. Gently fold melted chocolate into the meringue, making sure to not overmix! You don't want to lose the swirls. Two to three folds is sufficient.1.5 Oz (42g) Dark Chocolate Bar
- Transfer the meringue in a large piping bag fitted with a large French Star Tip or a regular open Star Tip
- Add small dollops of meringue to the corners of your large baking sheet and press the parchment paper down. This will help anchor the parchment paper down, making it easy to pipe. Pipe 1.5 inch (3.8cm) meringue kisses on to your baking sheets, spacing them at least an inch apart. I got about 50 cookies.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes and then turn the oven off and no not open the oven door for an additional 1 to 2 hours. The meringue cookies are done when they are dried throughout. You'll be able to lift them off the baking sheet easily and they will feel very light and dry.
Make the Chocolate Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl, add cold heavy whipping cream, sifted cocoa powder and sifted powdered sugar. With a hand-held mixer and on medium speed, whip the cream until medium peaks. Do not overmix!1 Pint (473g) Heavy Whipped Cream⅓ Cup (38g) Powdered Sugar¼ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (27g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Assemble
- In 4 to 6 small clear glasses, jars or bowls, layer the chocolate cream, cherry compote and crushed meringue kisses, creating as many layers as you'd like. Garnish with extra whole meringue cookies, sliced almonds and fresh cherries if you'd like. ENJOY!
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