Eton Mess

Directions

1. 1
   Place your mixing bowl and whisks in the deep freezer for half an hour before whipping the cream.
2. 2
   Chop up the strawberries into small pieces and sprinkle the icing sugar over the top. Mix well and set aside to macerate for at least 15 minutes on the counter top (up to 8 hours in the fridge)
3. 3
   While the strawberries are resting, whip the cream on high speed in the cooled bowl with the liqueur till its light and holds soft peaks. Don't aim for stiff peaks or the cream will be too thick when mixed in with the other ingredients.
4. 4
   To the whipped cream, add most of the crushed meringues (reserve some for topping) and most of the strawberries (give a good stir before you add and reserve 4 tablespoons for topping). Gently fold in with a large spoon or spatula, so as not to knock the air out of the cream but ensuring it is well mixed.
5. 5
   Spoon into glasses and top with the reserved meringues and chopped strawberries. Serve with any of the garnishes on the list