Cranberry & Port Eton Mess

By ltrodrigu

For a crisper meringue, bake for the full 7 hours. You can also turn the oven off after 2 hours of baking and leave the meringue to cool where it is with the door ajar.

Ingredients

• For the Meringue:
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• For the Cranberry Sauce:
• 2 12-ounce packages fresh cranberries
• 2 cups vintage Port
• 1 1/3 - 1 1/2 cups sugar
• For the Cream:
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make Meringue:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (or lowest setting) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites and sugar until they form stiff peaks. Spread meringue thickly over baking sheet. Bake at least 2 hours and as long as 7. Let cool.

Make Cranberry Sauce:
In a non-reactive saucepan, combine cranberry sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat until berries start popping, then reduce heat and simmer to thicken, about 15 minutes more. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Assemble Mess:
Just before serving, break meringue into bite-size pieces. Whip cream and confectioner’s sugar until it holds its shape. Roughly layer meringue, whipped cream and cranberry sauce in 6 bowls. Repeat with a second set of layers, and a third.