Journey to the sweet side: Magic vanilla squares

Pinterest is way too addictive. There were countless times where I lost an extra hour of sleep just because I could't stop browsing through all the images. Although this pin doesn't seem particularly special at first glance, the description promises magic and truly there is magic in this dessert :)

For a 20 cm x 20 cm pan; 9 - 16 squares
4 eggs
150 g sugar
1 vanilla bean
125 g butter
115 g flour
500 ml milk

confectioners sugar for decorating

Separate the eggs and best the egg whites into a stiff meringue. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture has significantly risen and has gone really pale. Cut the butter into cubes and melt it. Add it to the egg yolk mixture along with the vanilla seeds. Whisk for about a minute.

Sdd the flour and mix just enough that there is no flour left in the bowl. Add the milk one quarter at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition so that the mixture gradually dilutes.

If you would add all the milk at the same time you could be left with lumpy batter. The batter will be quite thin, more like crepes batter or even more.

Add the meringue and mix well, but don't worry if you get a couple of larger leftover meringue pieces. Pour the batter into a greased pan.

Bake at 160° C; baking time may vary from 40 - 50 minutes depending on your oven. After this time check if the top is golden brown and if the batter is firm yet. If it is still kind of jiggly if you gently shake the pan, increase the baking time for 10 minutes and check again. Increase baking time again if needed. If the top is getting too brown, cover with tin foil so that it doesn't burn.

Once fully baked, take the squares out of the oven and let it come to room temperature, then refrigerate to cool completely. Once still in the pan, cut it into squares and use a spatula to scoop it out of the pan.

The result is truly amazing. During baking the batter separates into 3 layers. At the top is a fluffy sponge, the middle layer is like pudding and at the bottom you get a fudge like dense and compact layer.