Mango & Passionfruit Eton Mess

Layers of crisp meringue, softly whipped vanilla cream, fresh mango and passionfruit, finished with a bright mango and lime purée. An easy no-bake dessert made for Christmas gatherings and warm summer days.

Christmas in an Australian summer calls for desserts that are cold, generous and easy to carry to the table. Mango and passionfruit belong here, their brightness cutting through softly whipped vanilla cream and the sweetness of crisp meringue.

I like to build Eton mess straight into the glasses rather than mixing everything together first. A smooth purée of ripe mango and fresh lime runs between the layers of cream, with pieces of fresh mango, spoonfuls of passionfruit and plenty of roughly broken meringue. Every mouthful catches something a little different, and the meringue softens gently where it meets the fruit while the pieces on top stay crisp.

It is relaxed enough for a summer barbecue and lovely enough to set down after Christmas lunch, with most of the work done well before anyone sits down.

Prep: 20 min · Serves: 6 · Cuisine: Australian · Category: Desserts

Ingredients

Mango & Lime Purée

• 1 large ripe mango
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Vanilla Cream

• 600 ml thickened cream, cold
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Eton Mess

• Mango & Lime Purée
• Vanilla Cream
• 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 passionfruit, pulp removed
• 150 to 180 g crisp meringues, roughly broken

Method

1. Remove the flesh from the mango and place it into a blender or small food processor with the lime juice.
2. Blend until completely smooth. Taste, and add a little more lime juice if the mango is particularly sweet.
3. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
4. Place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste into a large bowl.
5. Whip until the cream holds soft peaks. Keep it soft and pillowy rather than whipping it until firm.
6. Set out 6 individual serving glasses. Break the meringues into a mixture of bite-sized pieces and larger shards, keeping some of the nicest pieces aside for the tops.
7. Place a few pieces of meringue into the bottom of each glass.
8. Spoon over a generous layer of vanilla cream.
9. Add a spoonful of mango and lime purée over the cream, followed by fresh mango pieces and a little passionfruit pulp.
10. Add another layer of broken meringue, followed by more vanilla cream, mango purée, fresh mango and passionfruit.
11. Finish each glass with fresh mango, a little passionfruit and several crisp shards of meringue.
12. Serve straight away, or refrigerate briefly and add the final meringue pieces just before serving.

Make Ahead Notes

The mango and lime purée can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. The mango can be cut and the cream whipped earlier in the day, then kept separately in the refrigerator.

For the best contrast between crisp meringue and soft cream, assemble close to serving and add the final meringue pieces just before the glasses go to the table.

Serving Suggestion

After a Christmas lunch of Portuguese Christmas Ham with Madeira Glaze or Slow-Roasted Garlic, Rosemary & Lemon Lamb Shoulder, these cool, bright glasses are a gentle way to finish the meal. Pour a round of Christmas Negroni Spritz alongside, where the bittersweet Campari and orange sit lovely against the sweet mango and passionfruit.

Notes

Use ripe, fragrant mangoes for both the purée and the fresh fruit. The mango carries most of the sweetness and flavour, so good fruit makes a noticeable difference.

Keep some of the meringue pieces quite large. The mix of sizes gives you crisp shards on top and smaller pieces that soften gently against the cream and fruit.

Taste the purée before adding more lime. The lime should brighten the mango and balance its sweetness rather than make it sour.

Most meringues are gluten free, but check the label if you are serving anyone who needs to avoid gluten.

The Grace Table Tip

Keep a handful of broken meringue aside and scatter it over the top at the last moment. You will still have the softened meringue between the layers, with plenty of crisp pieces in every glass.

For easy entertaining, keep the mango purée, fresh mango and vanilla cream in separate containers in the refrigerator. Assembly takes only a few minutes once everything is ready.