The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Strawberry dessert.
One of my July 2012 recipes for National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, now Beyond Celiac.
"Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee in 2012 marked 60 years on the throne, and celebrations were held throughout her realms, the wider Commonwealth, and beyond. "
Both Good Morning America and British BBC showed more sophisticated versions of this dessert created by British Celebrity Chef Heston Blumenthal. He had partnered with a Nationwide supermarket in the UK to prepare 10,000 portions of this for the garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The same supermarket sells individual portions of this dessert and posted the recipe on line. However, what they say is the recipe is not the same as the chef said on the television.
The original, far simpler, recipe is known as Eton Mess. Eton Mess is a delicious combination of fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and meringues. Its name "Eton Mess" pays tribute to the place where it was invented, Eton College which is one of Britain's most famous public schools (very expensive fee paying, private school. Public School means private school in UK) whose alumni includes 18 Prime Minister's of Great Britain), but also that the cream, strawberries and broken meringues are all just mixed together in one big bowl that looks like a bit of a mess. Eton College was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. Both Prince William and Prince Harry attended Eton, close to London, in Windsor.
My version is a blend of simple traditional and updated Jubilee. Updated version has you cooking half of strawberries to a thick consistency, then adding chopped fresh strawberries, vodka, lemon juice, rose water and elderflower cordial. Chef mentioned making an oat topping like mini cookies to mix with rest of topping ingredients, but recipe doesn’t say that. He was able to use the mini meringues about the size of a Hershey Kiss, that look gorgeous but I can’t find them this tiny anymore locally. I just break up bought meringue cookies - many supermarkets carry them as well as Trader Joe’s.
Photo shows cooked strawberry compôte, topped with cream yogurt mix, broken meringues, toasted almonds and freeze dried strawberries.
Quantities are not written in stone, neither are different ingredients, but do make a good mix of strawberries, cream and meringues.
1 lb (500g) fresh, ripe, sweet strawberries, washed and hulled.
½ c (4oz, 120 g) sugar
1 tbsp (15ml) Amaretto (optional)
½-1 tsp Rose water, optional, but use it sparingly. Rose water does taste phenomenal in this, but don’t spend the time or money tracking it down. Indian and Asian markets carry it.
½ c (4 fl. oz, 120ml) Heavy or whipping cream (double cream-whips to double quantity so equal to starting quantity of yogurt) Make more cream/yogurt if you want.
1 c (8fl oz, 240 ml) vanilla yogurt.
More sugar, gf vanilla extract to taste, optional.
4 store bought meringue cookies ( or more), roughly broken into pieces, not crumbs.
Some freeze dried strawberries. I tested this with a small packet for less than $4 in Trader Joe’s. Quite an interesting, different strawberry taste and texture sensation. optional
About ½ cup toasted nuts for more texture difference, instead of baked oat topping/cookie. If you have a shortbread cookie you like, break some of those up instead.
1. Crush half the strawberries, either in food processor, by hand or with potato masher. Sprinkle in the sugar, Amaretto and remaining strawberries cut into bite size pieces. Stir well and leave to sit for at least an hour until the strawberries combine to make more juice. Taste and see if you want to add the rose water, if you bought it.
2. Whip the cream until stiff then gently fold in yogurt. Taste and see if you want to slowly add more sugar, one tablespoon (15ml) at a time. This is all down to your taste.
3. Gently fold about ¾ of cream mix into strawberry mix and spoon into decorative serving dish. Top with remaining cream and sprinkle with meringue pieces, chopped toasted nuts or shortbread cookies, freeze dried strawberries. All quantities are to taste. Mix some meringue into strawberry cream mix only about ½ hour before serving and meringues start to soften to marshmallow. Then crunch of more meringues, nuts and freeze dried strawberries on top are a pleasant contrast.
