Phyllis Bernstein's Recipe

Bunny's Floating Islands

Category: Desserts

I got this recipe after watching one of my favorite Tracy/Hepburn movies, "Desk Set". Bunny (Hepburn's character) makes dinner for her guest (Tracy), ending it with Floating Islands. I had never had this dessert before, so researched and this is the recipe I came up with. Hope you enjoy it!

8 Eggs, separated
pinch sale
4 C. Milk
1 vanilla bean, 6" long, halved lengthwise
1 1/3 C. Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 C. Superfine Sugar

Beat egg whites with the superfine sugar & salt till they form stiff peaks. Combine the milk, granulated sugar, & the vanilla bean in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer. Drop large spoonsful (about 1/2 C.) of the egg white mixture into the barely simmering milk and poach, a few at a time, for 2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon & place on a paper towel to drain.
Beat the egg yolks till thick & pale in a large bowl. Gradually add the hot milk, stirring constantly. Pour back into the saucepan. Stir over a very low heat till mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do NOT boil, or the eggs will scramble.
Chill the custard and the whites separately.
To serve, pour the custard into a large dish or separate dishes, and float the meringue islands on top. Bon appetit!