Lemon Eton Mess: An Easy Mini Dessert for Entertaining

If you’re looking for a dessert that’s quick to make, easy to prepare ahead and always impresses your guests, this Lemon Eton Mess is one of my favourites.

I first made these little desserts for Emily’s woodland baby shower, and they were a huge hit. Served in individual cups, they’re the perfect size after a celebration meal and look beautiful displayed on a dessert table.

While you could certainly make this recipe in one large serving bowl for everyone to help themselves, I love presenting it as individual mini desserts. They feel a little more special and make serving a crowd so much easier.

Simple Ingredients, Beautiful Flavour

One of the best things about this recipe is how few ingredients it requires.

You’ll need:

• Thickened cream
• Whipped lemon curd
• Mini white marshmallows
• Meringue nests
• Scotch Finger biscuits

The whipped lemon curd brings a fresh, tangy flavour that perfectly balances the sweetness of the marshmallows and meringue, while the Scotch Finger biscuits add just the right amount of buttery crunch.

So Easy to Make

This is one of those desserts that comes together in just a few minutes.

Begin by whipping the cream until soft peaks form.

Gently fold through the whipped lemon curd, followed by the mini marshmallows.

Next, roughly crumble the meringue nests and Scotch Finger biscuits before gently folding them into the cream mixture.

That’s all there is to it.

The Secret Is in the Layers

The real magic happens when you assemble the desserts.

For Emily’s baby shower I used small clear plastic dessert containers, which were perfect for serving a large number of guests. If you’re entertaining at home, small glass shot glasses or individual dessert bowls work beautifully too.

Spoon a layer of the cream mixture into the bottom of each container, followed by a spoonful of whipped lemon curd.

Repeat the layers until you reach the top of your container. The number of layers will depend on the size of the glasses or bowls you’re using. In the small dessert cups I used, two layers were just right.

To finish, top with some lemon curd and marshmallows for a beautiful presentation.

And that’s it.

A simple dessert that looks elegant, tastes delicious and is perfect for celebrations, baby showers, birthdays or anytime you’re feeding a crowd.

A Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert

Because these are served individually, they’re ideal for entertaining.

Prepare them ahead of time, keep them refrigerated and simply bring them out when it’s time for dessert. It’s one less thing to think about while you’re enjoying time with your guests.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend making a batch of my Whipped Lemon Curd first. Its light, silky texture is what makes this dessert so fresh and delicious, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll find yourself using it in cakes, pavlovas and so many other desserts too.