Forget heavy Christmas puddings. Christmas on the West Coast is made for fruit that tastes of sunshine.
This gloriously untidy Eton mess brings together some of December’s best offerings: ripe peaches, blushing apricots and sweet Cape grapes paired with crisp shards of meringue and clouds of cream. This is a pudding that’s festive without being fussy. Best of all, there’s no precision required.
West Coast Peach, Apricot & Grape Eton Mess (serves 6)
Ingredients: 3 peaches or nectarines, sliced; 6 fresh apricots, halved and stoned; 250 gm seedless grapes; 2 Tbsp brown sugar; 500 ml cream; 1 Tbsp icing sugar; 4–6 ready-made meringues, broken into pieces; ½ cup flaked almonds; fresh mint; 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Toss the grapes with 1 Tbsp brown sugar and roast at 200°C for 15 minutes until slightly blistered. Cool. Toss the peaches and apricots with the remaining sugar and vanilla. Toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden.
Whip the cream with the icing sugar. Layer the fruit, cream and meringue in a large bowl or individual glasses. Scatter over the roasted grapes and almonds. Finish with mint and serve immediately. (If you’re feeling festive, drizzle a little dessert wine over the fruit before assembling.)
The fruit does the heavy lifting; the meringue provides the crunch; the cream makes everybody happy. Much more interesting than another fridge tart😊
