Floating Island Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Separate two of the eggs. In top of double boiler, combine 1 whole egg and 2 yolks with 1/4 cup sugar and the salt, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the milk and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon. When the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat. (Do not boil. If custard should start to curdle, remove from heat and beat vigorously until smooth.) Pour the custard through a strainer into a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Cool and refrigerate.
• In a heat-proof bowl, lightly whisk the 2 egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, just enough to dissolve the sugar. Place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water and stir constantly until the temperature of the whites reaches 145 degrees F (63 C) or hotter. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, and use an electric mixer to beat the warm egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks.
• Pour the chilled custard into a serving dish. Drop the meringue by heaping tablespoons onto the custard to make islands. Chill before serving.

Steps:

• Island: Mix all ingredients thoroughly in saucepan and.
• cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until well thickened, 8-10 minutes.
• Pour into four 6oz custard cups and.
• seal with plastic wrap laid directly on pudding to prevent film from forming.
• Refrigerate until cooled and set.
• Topping: Mix all ingredients in saucepan and.
• cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, 8-10 minutes.
• Pour into 2 cup measure and.
• seal with plastic wrap laid directly on pudding to prevent film from forming.
• Refrigerate until cooled.
• To Serve: Insert table knife between Island and custard cup and run knife around cup to loosen.
• Invert each Island on a serving plate and remove custard cup.
• Pour 1/2 cup topping over Island- topping may be served warmed in microwave or chilled.

Steps:

• In a large, wide saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla bean to a simmer.
• To make the meringues: In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Scoop up several large serving spoonfuls and poach on the simmering milk, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on serving plate. Repeat until all the egg whites have been used.
• To make the creme Anglaise: in another large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until light and ribbon-y. Add the warm milk to the egg yolk mixture and return to the saucepan. Cook, over low heat, stirring constantly without letting it come to a boil, until mixture thickness and coats back of spoon. Strain and flavor with rum and vanilla extract. Ladle creme Anglaise around poached meringues.
• To make the Caramel: in a small saucepan, cook the remaining 1 cup sugar until caramelized, stirring constantly. Stir in the almonds. Turn off heat, being careful not to burn the caramel. Carefully spoon caramel over the meringue.

Steps:

• MERINGUE: Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. (When the beaters are lifted out of the bowl, they form peaks that fold over.) Add the sugar and beat for 1 minute or until thick and glossy. Form 4 mounds of meringue in an 8 or 9 inch shallow baking dish and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
• FILLING: Place the sugar, cornstarch salt and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until it begins to boil. Boil for 1 minute. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and beat slightly. Very slowly whisk some of the hot mixture into the eggs to temper them. Pour the eggs into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until the mixture barely begins to bubble. (Do not allow the pudding to boil or the eggs will curdle.) Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon juice.
• Carefully pour the pudding around the meringue. The meringue may loosen on their own and pop to the top of the pudding. If they do not, carefully run a knife or spatula around them to loosen them. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Heat milk. Mix the following: sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks. Add a little milk to the above ingredients and stir. Add this mixture to the hot milk in kettle and stir. When kettle mixtures thickens, add butter and vanilla. Meringue Topping: In a small mixing bowl, add 5 egg whites (3 from above plus 2), cream of tartar and 1/4 cup sugar, and whip into meringue. Cut angel food cake into small blocks not to exceed 1/2" squares, and put in a casserole dish. Pour pudding mixture over cake squares. Put meringue on top of pudding. Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes until meringue is nicely browned. Makes 6-8 servings.