Eton mess tarts

“Eton Mess” has to be one of my favourite desserts, not only is it delicious with its swirls of whipped cream studded with “light as a feather” meringues and fresh strawberries, it’s easy to make too. Especially if you use shop bought meringues. If Eton Mess is my favourite creamy dessert, then it’s true to say that pies and tarts also score high on the pudding list, and especially fruit and berry tarts during the summer months.

So, why not combine the two and make a tart, or should I say tarts? That’s exactly what I did recently when I had a glut of strawberries, some leftover meringues and a packet of butter short crust pastry in the fridge; it was just a simple assembly job after the tart cases had been baked and were cold, and these wee Eton Mess Tarts simply flew off the table with friends and family asking for more!

You can make your own pastry and meringues of course, and I normally have a tin of home-made meringues to hand, as they make great impromptu desserts when cream and fruit is added making them a sort of mini “Pavlova”. But, when the sun shining and the children are on school holidays, and dessert is needed for an after dinner (or barbecue) treat, this is the recipe for you – it’s simple and the result is a rather posh pie!

I have shared a basic recipe for meringues (just in case you want to make your own), but if time is tight, then shop bought ones are just as good for this delectable summer dessert, as is ready-made pastry too. One tip, don’t add the Eton Mess filling to the baked tart cases until JUST before you want to serve them, as the pastry can go a bit soggy and no one wants a “soggy bottom”! I hope you enjoy these little tarts as much as we all did – they are a perfect after-dinner dessert with the minimum of fuss.