Heston Blumenthal's ice cream Eton mess
These individual raspberry, meringue and ice cream desserts may take a little time - but they make a stunning end to any dinner party
Serves: 6
For the raspberry juice:
1500g frozen raspberries
200g fructose
1. Place the raspberries and the fructose in a metal bowl, cover with cling film and place over a pot of lightly simmering water. Allow to sit over the simmering water, covered, for 3 hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds, cool and reserve.
For the raspberry syrup:
200g raspberry juice (from above)
40g fructose
1. Place the reserved juice and the fructose in a small saucepan. Over medium heat reduce the juice to a syrup. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature and pour into a piping bag, reserve.
For the Swiss meringue:
180g egg whites (at room temperature)
350g unrefined caster sugar
1. Place the egg white and sugar into the metal bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl onto a pot of simmering water over medium heat. Whisk continuously while bringing the egg and sugar mixture to 55ºC. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the meringue forms medium peaks. Place the meringue into a piping bag with 0.5cm straight piping tip. Reserve in the refrigerator until needed.
For the white chocolate garnish:
40g white chocolate
1. Melt the white chocolate in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water.
2. On a cutting board lay out a sheet of acetate (21cm x 28cm). Pour the warm and melted white chocolate on top of the sheet. Place another acetate sheet and using a second cutting board, press down on the acetate sheets until a thin layer of chocolate remains in between the sheets.
3. Place in the refrigerator and allow to set. After 20 minutes, peel the top layer of acetate off. Break the white chocolate sheet into large pieces and reserve.
For the assembly:
500ml raspberry and vanilla ice cream (eg Haagen Dazs Raspberries & Meringue)
Raspberry juice (from above)
Raspberry syrup (from above)
Swiss meringue (from above)
White chocolate (from above)
24 fresh raspberries, cut in half lengthways
Glucose (in a disposable piping bag with a small straight tip)
1 crisp meringue
3 limes
1. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and temper in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Place 6 metal ring moulds (5cm diameter by 3.5cm high) onto a flat tray. Divide the ice cream between the 6 moulds and scrape the top and bottom of the cylinder using a spatula to pack the ice cream in tightly. Place the tray with the moulds into the freezer and allow to set for 3 hours. Unmould the ice cream and place back in the freezer.
3. Place the reserved raspberry juice in a tall container. Take each ice cream cylinder and dip into the raspberry juice. Place back in the freezer. Repeat this step 3 to 4 times until the outside of the ice cream is completely covered, and coated evenly, by the raspberry juice. Allow to set in the freezer for 2 hours. Once the ice cream cylinders are completely frozen, using an apple corer and placing it in the middle of the top of the cylinder, press through the ice cream. Place back into the freezer.
4. Pipe a circle of the meringue, 5cm in diameter, onto the individual plates. Place the ice cream cylinder directly on top of the meringue, and using the raspberry syrup reserved in the piping bag, fill the cavity in the middle of the ice cream. Using the reserved pieces of white chocolate, break them into irregular size pieces and place along the side of the ice cream cylinders.
5. Place the raspberry halves on top of the ice cream with the cut side facing inward. Using the Swiss meringue, pipe small dollops inside the circle of raspberries. Place a small drop of the glucose on top of each raspberry. Place pieces of the crisp meringue, broken into small pieces, into the centre as garnish. Finely grate the lime zest and sprinkle on top of the meringue.
More recipes:
Raspberry meringue terrine
Strawberry yogurt cheesecakes
More celebrity chef recipes
Where to next?
Chocolate's good for you!
Gordon Ramsay on melting chocolate
Send us your recipes and we'll publish the best!
Save money on food with our coupons. Simply cut them out and take them to the shops with you.
By Jennifer Shepherd
