French Floating Islands Recipe
Floating Islands, or Île Flottante in French, is a dessert featuring poached meringues served over vanilla custard, topped with caramel sauce and toasted almonds.
Ingredients
- Egg whites - 4
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Cream of tartar - 1/4 tsp
- Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
- Milk - 2 cups
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Egg yolks - 4
- Vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped) - 1
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Water - 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vanilla extract.
- Heat a large pot of milk until simmering. Using two spoons, shape the meringue into oval quenelles and gently drop them into the simmering milk. Poach for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Using the same milk add vanilla bean (with seeds) into the saucepan until just simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the vanilla bean and let the custard cool.
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Pour the crème anglaise into individual serving bowls. Place a poached meringue "island" on top and drizzle with caramel.
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 7gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 81mgSugar: 54g
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