Rednesday

Sometimes I find myself alone for breakfast . . .some mornings Husband Jim has coffee with his cronies. It's a male only coffee and so . . . . I'm alone in the breakfast room with my coffee and the paper. And eventually breakfast, after the crossword is solved!

I've heard of a dessert called "Eton Mess" forever . . . and there it was on the cover of the latest Barefoot Contessa cookbook and it was one of the recipes on her show Saturday. First reading about it and then seeing it made me realize "How Easy Is That?"

With leftover raspberries and raspberry sauce from Sunday's cake, a partial tin of meringues left over from last week's tiramisu and cream in the refrigerator . . . the ingredient were all at hand!

Thankfully, husband Jim was gone for there was just enough for one "Mess" and it made a grand breakfast!
For I feel that it contained all of the breakfast food ingredients --

Eggs

Fruit

Dairy

It was terrific and I will definitely serve this for dessert. Alas, unlike the Barefoot Contessa, we have no meringue outlet and so will be forced to make my own. But they are simple, really, and can be made ahead.

I'm also thinking that this may be the perfect Valentine's Luncheon dessert -- which needs to be either red or chocolate but definitely scrumptious!

This is Ina's recipe -- I just put mine together using ingredients on hand. But it was just as good as if I had really planned it for dessert!!!

ETON MESS

4 (6 ounce) packages fresh raspberries

1 cup plus 3 T. sugar

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 T. framoise liqueur

1 2/3 c. cold heavy cream

1 t. vanilla

4 (3 inch) bakery meringue shells, broken in pieces

Pour two packages of the raspberries, 1 cup sugar and the lemon juice into a 10 inch saute pan. Crush the berries lightly with a fork and bring the mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is syrupy. Fold in the remaining two packages of raspberries and the framboise into the hot mixture and refrigerate until very cold.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream, the remaining

3 T. sugar and the vanilla together on medium high speed until it forms firm peaks.

In decorate glasses, layer a spoonful of the whipped cream, a spoonful of the raspberry mixture and a few of the meringue pieces.

Repeat once or twice, depending on the size of the glasses, until the glasses are full, ending with the berries and a dollop of cream.

It's Wednesday or Rednesday and I'm joining Sue at A Very Cherry World with my Rednesday Eton Mess!