A foolish mess

This easy dessert has just a few ingredients and is a totally delicious vegan twist on the classic British berry fool or Eton mess.

I love a good dessert, and really, who doesn't?

This one is very simple, and works equally well splodged into a bowl to eat in your pyjamas on the couch, or prettily layered into a glass to serve to guests.

The classic berry fool is usually some combination of berries or other fruit, sweetened and mixed or layered with whipped cream. Add broken meringue and it becomes an Eton mess.

I've used golden kiwifruit (Chinese gooseberry, or kiwi), which I'm just in love with right now. Golden kiwifruit are a slightly mellower, less acidic version of their green cousins, and with more of a tropical flavour to them. They're in season in New Zealand now, affordable, perfectly ripe and the best mix of sweet and tart. High in vitamin C and E, potassium and fibre, they're also officially Good For You.

I blended them until smooth, then added a spoonful of chia seeds to thicken the mixture up a bit. The chia seeds look just like kiwifruit seeds, so you know what - no one even needs to know you're sneaking a superfood into their dessert! Genius.

Partner this golden sauce with some plain aquafaba meringues and whipped coconut cream and you suddenly have a very indulgent vegan dessert.

Yum.

A foolish mess

This easy dessert has just a few ingredients and is a totally delicious vegan twist on the classic British berry fool or Eton mess.

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Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Course: Sweet treats

Cuisine: Vegan

Servings: 4

Calories:

Author: Quite Good Food

INGREDIENTS

• 6 golden kiwifruit
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sweetener of your choice optional
• 1 can of full fat coconut cream chilled
• About half a batch of plain aquafaba meringues

INSTRUCTIONS

For the kiwifruit:

• Cut each kiwifruit in half and scoop the insides into a food processor or bowl (if you're using a stick blender).
• Blend until fairly smooth.
• Taste and add a little sweetener if necessary - this depends on how ripe your fruit is, and your personal taste.
• Stir through the chia seeds and set aside to thicken for an hour or so.

For the whipped coconut cream:

• It's essential for the coconut cream to be well chilled, ideally overnight in the fridge or for at least 3-4 hours.
• Remove the can from the fridge, and without shaking it, open and carefully spoon the thick cream into a mixing bowl. Leave the thin liquid in the can. This will not work with light coconut cream as the cream and liquid won't separate.
• Using an electric beater or whisk, whip the coconut cream until light and fluffy. Add a tiny bit (1-2 tsp) of the liquid in the can if the cream is too thick.
• This is best done just before serving, but if you need to you can put the whipped cream back in the fridge for a while until you're ready to serve.

To serve:

• Break or crush a few meringues per person and layer with kiwifruit and whipped coconut cream in a glass.

RECIPE NOTES

Prep and cook time don't include making the aquafaba meringues.
I made my meringues as per the recipe, but left out the coffee and boiling water mixture.
I piped small meringues and they worked really well for this dessert, along with leaving me plenty of leftover meringues to indulge in over the next week or so.

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