From his latest book, The Scottish Cookbook, Hebridean Baker, Coinneach Macleod shares his recipe for Christmas Mess.
‘If you need a festive dessert in a hurry, this Black Forest Eton Mess is the perfect choice – with the added bonus of using store cupboard ingredients,’ Coinneach says.
‘This recipe combines the rich, indulgent flavours of black cherry and dark chocolate with the light, airy crunch of meringue and whipped cream. A simple assembly of layers creates a delicious dessert that comes together in no time and is sure to impress.’
Ingredients (Serves 6)
410g (14oz) can of black
cherries
45g (1¾oz) sugar
125g (4½oz) dark
chocolate, chopped
300ml (1¼ cups) double cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons kirsch
6 store-bought meringue nests
3 oatie cookies, optional
Method
Begin by draining the cherries and setting aside the juice.
In a saucepan, combine the cherry juice with the sugar. Cook over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Increase the heat to medium to high and allow the mixture to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it reduces to about 200ml (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon). Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate, then stir until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is smooth. Allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl, whip the cream and icing sugar together until soft peak form. Gently fold in the kirsch.
Crumble the meringue nests roughly.
To assemble, divide the crumbled meringue among your 6 serving glasses. Layer each with the whipped cream, the cherries and the cooled chocolate cherry sauce. Repeat the layers. For some texture, you can crumble some oatie cookies on top.
Serve immediately for a festive dessert delight.
Read some of the recipes from Coinneach Macleod’s new book, The Scottish Cookbook here.
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