Dessert Recipes - Peach Floating Islands Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 peaches, skinned and sliced

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 30 ml/2 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 eggs, separated

• 450 ml/3/4 pt/2 cups milk

• A few drops of vanilla essence (extract)

• 15 ml/1 tbsp corn flour (cornstarch)

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Method:

1. Put the peaches in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with 30 ml/2 tbsp of the sugar and the lemon juice.

2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold in 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup of the remaining sugar. Bring the milk to the boil in a large shallow pan.

3. Divide the egg white into six portions and drop into the simmering milk. Poach for 10 minutes, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper.

4. Stir the vanilla essence into the milk. Whisk together the egg yolks and corn flour. Pour the milk over, whisking all the time.

5. Return to the pan and stir in the remaining sugar. Cook gently, stirring, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

6. Test by lifting the spoon out of the mixture. Draw a finger across the custard on the back of the spoon: if it leaves a clear line, the custard is ready.

7. Pour over the peaches. Put the poached whites on top. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours.