Floating Island Pudding

2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 can water
Pinch salt
2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Combine egg yolks and 3/4 cups sugar. Add milk, water, salt, vanilla and cornstarch, and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Beat egg whites and 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff. Pour custard mixture over egg whites and gently streak it through. Cool before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

This is another of the delicious desserts served to our card group by Cecelia. Puffs of meringue float in soft pudding. The meringue can also be baked in tablespoon size puffs, or poached in salted water, and then floated on the pudding for a different kind of "cloud." It reminds me of the family who lived with us for a year or so when I was a child. It must have been 1946 or 1947. They were Displaced Persons (DP's) from Latvia. They lived upstairs and the father helped my Dad on the farm. I think in addition to their room and board, they were paid a small income so they could save and become independent. They stayed at the farm one winter while we went to Florida. They had a son my age, and a daughter my sister's age (Pietre & Anya). The mother knitted my mother a beautiful wine colored cable sweater and I remember that Mom wore it until it fell apart. One day the mother (can't remember her name) made floating island pudding. It was beautiful, but as children do, since I had never seen one before, I refused to eat it. Now I wish I had. I missed a treat.