Easy Eton Mess Ice Cream

• strawberries↗400g g

  peeled and thinly sliced

• granulated sugar↗50g g
• lemon↗½

  juiced

• custard500g fresh vanilla g

  fresh vanilla

• heavy cream200ml ml
• meringue50g shop-bought g

  coarsely crushed

• ice cream cones

  for serving (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Transfer the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into a bowl and mix well. Cover and let marinate.

2. 2

   Whisk the custard and cream in a small freezer‑safe container with a lid until smooth. Freeze for 1 ½–2 hours until semi‑frozen. If you have a large freezer and a blender, place the blender jar in the freezer next to the ice cream to chill (optional). Scrape the semi‑frozen custard into the blender and blend briefly until you achieve a thick smoothie texture. Return to the container and freeze for another 1–2 hours until it reaches a soft‑serve ice cream consistency. If you don’t have a blender, use a whisk to break up the custard.

3. 3

   When the custard is ready, spoon the marinated strawberries on top, leaving most of the syrup in the bowl. Fold the strawberries and a few pieces of meringue into the custard, then sprinkle the remaining meringue on top. Freeze for about 3 hours until the ice cream is firm enough to shape into balls, or leave overnight. It can be prepared up to three days in advance and frozen. Before serving, let it soften slightly. Scoop the ice cream into bowls or cones and garnish with leftover meringue and strawberry syrup.