4 egg whites

4 cups milk

3 egg yolks

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise

 Heat the milk in a large saucepan, scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk and simmer the milk along with the vanilla bean pod while you make the meringue.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or handheld mixer, and whip until the egg whites start to peak.  Add ½ cup of sugar to the mix and whip until very stiff and glossy.

With aid of two large spoons fashion 4 egg-shaped meringues the size of a duck egg and poach in the hot milk for 1 minute on each side. Scoop and drain each meringue to plate and repeat with the rest of the meringue mix.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar and corn starch until it becomes pale yellow, add the hot cooking milk to the mixture while mixing. Return this cream back to the cooking pot and cook gently until it becomes thick like heavy cream without boiling the custard. Strain the custard into a large serving bowl and place the “floating meringues” on top of the custard.

Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve with chocolate shavings on top and your favorite cookies.