Eton Mess

Iona resident Vicky shared with us a recipe from her daughter in law who made a pavlova which didn’t work, so she googled ‘what to do with a broken pav’ and ‘Eton Mess’ came up.

A popular story claims it was created when a pavlova was dropped and crushed and the broken pieces were served as a “mess”. It is a wonderful dessert for a hot summers Christmas Day.

Ingredients for Mess

• 1 ½ cups cream
• ¾ cup plain Greek yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 5 cups mixed berries eg: strawberries, raspberries & blackberries
• 18 ready made meringues (or failed pavlova), broken into pieces

Ingredients for sauce

• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method

1. To make sauce, puree the strawberries and icing sugar together in a food processor or blender until smooth.
2. Whip the cream, yoghurt, vanilla essence and the 2 tablespoons of icing sugar until thick.
3. Place a layer of meringues on the base of a serving bowl, top with a layer of whipped cream, a layer of mixed berries and a drizzle of the sauce.
4. Repeat layers, ending with berries.
5. Cover and refrigerate for 6-12 hours.

Olive’s Brandy Sauce

Olive’s brandy sauce is a family tradition – rich, golden, and just strong enough to make you feel warm from the inside out! Olive never needed a recipe, she had it memorised. Now a resident at Holmdene, Olive is happy to share her favourite recipe to spread the Christmas cheer.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons custard powder
• Water (enough to make a smooth paste)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1 dessert spoon butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup brandy (it is tradition to test the brandy before adding…)

Method

1. In a small saucepan, mix the custard powder with a little water to form a smooth paste.
2. Add the lemon zest, golden syrup, butter, and sugar.
3. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the sauce begins to thicken and the butter has melted.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the brandy.
5. Serve warm over pudding, cake, or dessert of your choice.

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