An Easy, Cool, and Delicious Summer Treat

I’m home!!!!

I recently got home from a trip to Europe.  Well I guess I could include Asia in that because we went to Istanbul and it is technically on two continents so…  I digress.  When my friend Kim (one of the best travel partners next to besides husband), and I visited Chatsworth.  I had wanted to visit here for years and we finally got it on the trip itinerary.  We traveled up from Stoke on Trent to get there and arrived right at lunch time. 

Me, outside Chatsworth.  The home that was Jane Austen's inspiration for Pemberely

We decided to have lunch before heading into tour the house and grounds.  Our lunch was delicious but I can’t remember what it was.  What I DO remember is the dessert.  Kim had always wanted to try Eton Mess so she got some to try.  I had heard of it but didn’t know what it was.  Well she thought it was wonderful and asked me to try it and I did and it was heavenly!  It was a cool, sweet, and refreshing treat! 

This picture dose not do this yummy treat justice.  You are just going to have to trust me on this one. 

Since we have got home, we have both tested it out on our families at dinners and it has been a hit.  Especially when it is hot in Arizona, a cool dessert is wonderful!  Here is the recipe I used.  I don’t know the one Kim used but I will compare it sometime and let you know. 

Eton Mess (Serves 6)

6 oz (175 g) golden granulated sugar

3 large egg whites

 (*note- the above ingredients are to make the meringue.  I just used store bought meringues already made.  They came in 7 ounce containers holding approximately 28 cookies.  For this recipe you would need about 4 oz. or about 20 cookies.)

1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, hulled

1 rounded T powdered sugar

1 pint (570 ml) heavy whipping cream

To make meringue:

First, have the caster sugar measured out ready, then place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks. Add the caster sugar, about a tablespoon at a time and continue to whisk (beat) until each T of sugar has been thoroughly whisked in. Now take rounded dessertspoonfuls of the mixture and place them in rows on a lined baking tray (sheet) (I use either parchment or brown paper). Place the tray in the 250-275 degree oven on the centre shelf, and leave the meringues there for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven to dry out overnight, or until the oven is completely cold.

Begin here if using store bought meringues: 

When you’re ready to make the pudding, chop half the strawberries and place them in a blender together with the powdered sugar. Whiz the whole lot to a puree, then pass it through a nylon sieve to remove the seeds (I don’t do this). Now chop the rest of the strawberries and whip up the double cream to the floppy stage.

All the above can be done in advance, but when you are ready to serve, break up the meringues into roughly 1 inch pieces (I actually do this ahead of time, also). Place them in a large mixing bowl, add the chopped strawberries, then fold the cream in and around them. After that, gently fold in all but about 2 T of the puree to give a marbled effect. Finally, pile the whole lot into a serving dish, spoon the rest of the puree over the surface and serve as soon as possible.

P.S. Everyone I’ve served this to has loved it.

My Report on my Annual Jane Austen Tea Party! (yes I know I am a month late in reporting this!)

I have some events that I need to write about that happened in December. The first is, of course, my Jane Austen Birthday Tea party that was held on Dec. 14^th (her actual birthday is Dec. 16^th). So we will call this “catching up time”! 

As I mentioned, we had our Jane tea party on Dec 14^th, due to the fact that Thursdays are “Grandma Day” at my house and it takes me a day to recover from that, so Wednesdays are the best day for me.  I have such great friends that are Jane Austen enthusiasts, which humor me and make it fun for all. 

This year I even had 2 cuties dress up with me, which is not required and is above and beyond, but they were adorable! 

My adorable daughter in law, Suzi, with me.  We are doing, what we now in our family affectionately call, "a Suzi pose". 

Caitlin Porter, the second biggest Jane Austen fan (next to me...or maybe we are tied)!

We even had a trivia contest and the prize went to Kim although it was a hard fought battle that went into a 3 question over time, due to a tie on the quiz.  Kim won the prize by answering the final question of “What was Jane’s sister’s name?”  The answer is Cassandra. 

Nancy, Leslie, Kim (the winner), Lori, Joan, and Teresa

(starting from the front and going clockwise),LaDawn, Sheli, Diana, Suzi, Rochelle, Bonnie, and Marie.  Marie is the only "Jane Austen heathen" here that I am trying to convert. 

But when she won, no one was surprised, since she had studied Jane Austen at Oxford University!!! 

Carrie. Anita, Ora, Caroline, Caitlin, (Dorothy was here but had to leave before I remembered to take a group shot)

I served chicken salad, egg salad and cucumber sandwiches, berry tarts, lemon cookies, creame(no I didn't spell it wrong, this is how it is spelled in England) wafers, strawberries, scones with clotted creame and fruit preserves, a variety of teas and a pot of wassail. 

Anyway, it was a fun day, with great friends, great conversation, great fun and I love my friends who like to come every year. 

If you are a Jane Austen fan, I highly suggest you start this tradition!