Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Flicking through a food magazine at a friend’s place recently I discovered a recipe for Eton mess. It made me laugh – I’ve made it twice, but both times it was the result of a pavlova disaster and not the dessert I actually set out to make.

So strong is the stuffed-up pavlova = Eton mess equation that it’s even the subject of a popular myth. Legend has it that the English dessert was invented after a meringue and cream pudding went flying at a 19th Century cricket match. Apparently, rather than wasting the dessert it was scooped up and served in individual bowls.

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