One Egg Two Ways: Chocolate Chip Meringues and Quick Raspberry-Almond Custard

One medium egg did a lot of legwork this past weekend. The yolk and white went their separate ways, one into a very simple, but rich stove-top custard, the other into a marshamallowy whip of meringues. Here's what happened: I was entertaining the idea of making pudding or custard (well, eating it anyway), and then this custard recipe showed up on Smitten Kitchen. But the recipe requires only an egg yolk, and with the freezer already full of bits and pieces from past recipes and dinners, I didn't want to save the whites or throw them away. Enter the meringues.

I've made meringues once before. I over-accented with the peppermint extract and ended up with what were essentially Altoid pillows. A little too refreshing, even for the mint lover I consider myself to be. This round was considerably more successful. It's a basic meringue recipe, studded with chocolate chips for a sweet, smooth bite. These meringues came out with a crisp coat surrounding an almost taffy-like center. Beating the eggs took a while, as I did it by hand. With a mixer, they'll whip up in no time.

 As for the custard, the recipe is very straightforward. The one note to this recipe is to watch the pot; constant stirring will ensure a smooth, creamy custard. I also recommend sending the finished mixture through a strainer to remove any lumps. I incorporated almond and raspberry flavors, akin to a Linzer Torte. If you have fresh raspberries, definitely use them, but jam will also do the trick. Or leave it out for a pure almond taste.

                  Cup o' custard!

 Note: the ratio of custard to meringue is slightly lopsided; the recipe came out with two servings of custard and about eighteen meringues. But meringues keep very well in an airtight container, so it's not much of a problem. The recipe works particularly well if you want to eat the custard yourself and share the meringues.

Chocolate Chip Meringues
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate Chip Meringues Cookies

Ingredients:
1 egg white
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)

Directions:
--Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a pan with parchment paper.
--In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until foamy with a whisk or hand-held mixer. Add salt and cream of tarter and beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate chips.
--Spoon onto parchment paper in tablespoon-sized dollops. Bake for 25 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Let cool on pan 15 minutes. Makes 18 meringues.

Quick Raspberry-Almond Custard
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Vanilla Custards

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk, whole or 2% (I used 2%)
1 large egg yolk
2 TBSP granulated sugar
1 1/2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 TBSP raspberry jam or 1/4 cup fresh raspberries, mashed

Directions:
--Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm. Set aside. In another pan, whisk egg yolk and sugar together until pale in color. Gradually add milk to egg mixture, whisking constantly.
--Place mixture on stove over medium-high heat and continue to whisk until it begins to bubble. Whisk for 1 minute more and remove from head. Stir in butter, extract and jam or berries. Jam or berries should not be fully incorporated, but should leave swirls of color throughout custard.
--Pour mixture through strainer into a bowl or container. Let cool for half an hour and eat or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Makes 3/4 cup custard.