First, toss the sliced strawberries with the granulated sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.
To build the Strawberry Eton Mess divide the whipped cream and strawberry curd between 4 serving dishes of your choice.
Layer in a generous amount of the macerated berries.
Break up 1 or 2 of the meringues or pavlovas, depending on what you are using and sprinkle them on top of the berries in each dish.
Layer in another spoonfull of macerated berries then sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.
Garnish with elements of your choice: Whole meringue cookies, whole strawberries with tops, more strawberry curd, or whipped cream.
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Notes
You can substitute the strawberries in this recipe for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, or a mixture of all three. You can sub in store-bought prepared lemon curd for the homemade strawberry curd called for in this recipe.To make whipped cream at home:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes.
If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out.
Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.