🇭🇺 Hungarian Floating Island (Madártej)

Hungarian Floating Island, known as Madártej, is a classic Hungarian dessert made with a silky vanilla custard and delicate clouds of poached meringue floating on top. Its name translates roughly to “bird’s milk,” a charming name for a dessert that is light, creamy, and wonderfully comforting.

Made with simple ingredients such as milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, Madártej is a beautiful example of traditional Hungarian home-style desserts.

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Custard

  • 4 cups (1 liter) whole milk
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

For the Floating Meringues

  • 5 large egg whites
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Optional Garnish

  • Vanilla sugar
  • Lemon zest
  • A light dusting of cinnamon

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