Soft Meringues with Custard Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 6 4

medium-sized eggs,

separated 2.5 ml/

½ tsp ground cinnamon

200 g/7 oz caster sugar

1 L/1 ¾ milk

15 ml/1 tbsp almond, blanched, peeled and chopped

15 m/1 tbsp flour

Preparation method

1. Whisk the egg white until soft peaks form. Mix the cinnamon with half of the sugar and beat this mixture into the egg whites, 2 tablespoon at a time.

2. Put 100 ml of the milk in a small saucepan. Add the chopped nuts and reserve.

3. Bring the rest of the milk to boil in a large shallow pan, and then lower the heat to the simmering point. Scoop out a few small dessert spoons of the meringue and slide them gently into the simmering milk. Cook only a few spoonfuls at a time, as the meringue swells as it cooks and you must keep each mound well apart.

4. When the bottom is cooked, 2 – 2 ½ minutes, turn each mound over with a slotted spoon and cook the other side. The meringues will be gently firm on the out-side. Remove them and sliced gently into a deep dish. Continue until all the meringues are cooked.

5. Mix the remaining sugar with the flour and strain the milk used for cooking into them; mix thoroughly.

6. Bring the reserved milk and nuts to the boil. Cook for 1 minute and then pour this into the sugar and flour mixture.

7. Beat the egg yolks in a saucepan then pour in the milk mixture. Over a very low heat bring the custard to the gentlest simmer. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to thicken the custard. Allow it to cool, stirring frequently. Chill about 1 hour.

8. Cover each meringue with 15 ml/1 tbsp of the cold custard and serve the rest of the custard separately in a sauceboat.