Eton mess was invented at Eton College in England in the 1930s and is now traditionally served there on June 4th, but we don’t stand on such ceremony in my family — we eat this as soon as Irish strawberries hit the shops and roadside stands, then make it more often than I care to admit all through the summer (certainly more than can be good for us with all that cream). I’m lucky in that you can buy meringues in practically any grocery store in Ireland, which makes this incredibly easy to whip together, but if you can’t find meringues in the store or want to try making them yourself, then this is the perfect recipe to have as a back-up plan. Because you crush the meringues anyway, it doesn’t matter one bit if they look pretty beforehand. <br /> <br />Because you need to let the meringues dry out in the cold oven (overnight if possible), it’s ideal to make them the day before you want to make the Eton mess. The meringue recipe will make more than you need for 4 servings of Eton mess, but they’ll keep in an airtight container for a week. <br /> <br />I doubt my boozy version would meet with approval at Eton College, but I think it will meet with yours. - Kristin

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