I love any food or drink with a good story behind it, from Singapore Slings to Kentucky Hot Browns. That's why I've been wanting to make the Eton Mess, a strawberry dessert recipe with hundreds of years of English custom behind it, practically forever.
This no-cook berry pudding was first created sometime in the 1800s at Eton College, one of Britain's most distinguished public schools. It's served with great fanfare every year at the school's June 4 celebration picnic, which is held on the playing fields following a cricket game against the students of neighboring Winchester College.
Although historians believe it was first served with bananas, strawberries became de rigueur over the years, as did the addition of crumbled meringue cookies. Think of it as an inside-out pavlova — creamy, crispy, fruity, and sticky. For the five-ingredient recipe, read more.
