START TO FINISH: 25 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Traditional Eton mess is like a simplified trifle—strawberries, cream and meringue cookies, folded together in a large bowl. For our version, we used raspberries and spiked the whipped cream with sour cream to lend a subtle tang. Store-bought meringue cookies made this recipe a breeze to assemble; Trader Joe’s carries a good version. Layering the berries and cream gave us a more attractive final dish.
Don’t walk away from the oven while the meringues are under the broiler, as they can scorch in a matter of seconds.
Three 6-ounce containers raspberries
5 tablespoons white sugar, divided
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 ounces vanilla meringue cookies, broken into rough ½-inch bits (about 2 cups)
¾ cup heavy cream
⅔ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ cup roasted, salted shelled pistachios, chopped
In a small saucepan over medium-high, mash together half of 1 container of raspberries (about ½ cup), 4 tablespoons of the sugar and a pinch of salt. Heat, stirring, just until the berries have broken down and the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes, then stir in the lemon zest and juice. Gently stir the remaining berries into the puree.
Heat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches from the element. Spread the meringue pieces in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until browned, 30 to 60 seconds. Let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, use a stand mixer on medium-high to beat the heavy cream, sour cream, cardamom, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and ⅛ teaspoon salt until the mixture holds peaks, about 2 minutes.
Spoon about ¼ cup of the whipped cream into each of four glasses or serving bowls. Spoon about ⅓ cup of the berry mixture into each glass, then top with several spoonfuls of meringue pieces, reserving 1 tablespoon. Layer in the remaining whipped cream, dividing it evenly, then spoon in the remaining berry mixture. Sprinkle with the reserved meringue pieces and the pistachios.