In two days I leave for Paris, a city of coffee and kisses and catacombs of romance. Hand holding. Scarves. Fresh bread. Rain. I am excited; I haven’t been to Europe in six years. When I lost an uncle in the war and my best friend within a month of landing in Fiumicino. I’m excited in the way I cannot fully articulate. It’s a teetering point, a precipice. One English class called this feeling “the Sublime.” That Mary Shelley’s thematic approach to this concept was the anxiety and thrill of peering at the edge of a cliff before jumping. This adventure feels that way, sublime and beautiful and a composite of a million memories that never fully formed, never fully alive. A chimera of emotion, rough-stitched together to make a whole. I run back to the only boy I’ve ever loved.
But I have things to do before I go. Emails to write, jeans to buy. I think I may have gained weight since February, but I’m not so sure. I think all of my clothes are neutral and dark and I wonder if I am more myself than ever, or less so. I pack flannel pajamas, the house we are staying at might be drafty. I pack my camera and print out a list of one hundred things to see in Paris before I die. I kiss Milo this morning and wonder if he’d like France. He can barely remember words in English, though; he’s always running around, as wild and undisciplined as moths he chases in the morning light. I have things to do before I go, like make coffee and smoke a cigarette. I have things to do before I go, like learn French and cut my hair.
But I take a moment for myself, a moment just for me, and I baked these Eton messes last night. They’re mashmallowy, sweet. They’re soft and chewy. They’re something to calm me before our 8 hours in the air. They’re something to center me before I become unhinged at my lust for a world I haven’t seen in far too long: a world where I am content again with the mess I have created for myself.
Nut Butter Eton Mess
Ingredients for Meringues:
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 TB pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup nut butter (I definitely loved using Beardy Boys’ Pecan Smash for this recipe)
Directions for Meringues:
- Preheat oven to 250*F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, beat your egg whites on medium-high until round peaks form
- Add your vanilla and continue to beat
- In a slow stream, add your sugar until your whites are thick, glossy, and hold a peak
- Fold in your nut butter with a rubber spatula and transfer to a piping bag
- Pipe onto your prepared pan—don’t worry too much about the shape, as you’ll be breaking these up (hence the “mess” part of this!)
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until your meringues have a nice shell on them
- Turn oven off, but keep meringues in for an additional two hours to dry out
- Remove and use immediately for the recipe or store in an airtight container for a day or two
Ingredients for Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
Directions for Whipped Cream:
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, beat your heavy cream on medium-high until round peaks form
- Add your vanilla and continue to beat
- In a slow stream, add your sugar until your whites are thick, glossy, and hold a peak
- Turn mixer off and use immediately to assemble your Eton Mess
To assemble: In any container (I used 2 Ball jam jars, but a small trifle dish would work, or even a bowl) layer your meringue cookies, then more almond butter (will need approximately 1 cup additional for this recipe), then whipped cream. Keep layering until you fill your container. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and a little confectioner’s sugar and enjoy immediately or refrigerate for a couple hours before ready to eat.
This post was sponsored by my partners at Beard Boys, Inc. Their nut butters really are superb and provide a natural, delicate flavor in every spoonful of this dessert. Check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!