Best Floating Islands Ii Recipes

FLOATING ISLAND (OEUFS A LA NEIGE)

Steps:

• Separate two of the eggs. In top of double boiler, combine 1 whole egg and 2 yolks with 1/4 cup sugar and the salt, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the milk and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon. When the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat. (Do not boil. If custard should start to curdle, remove from heat and beat vigorously until smooth.) Pour the custard through a strainer into a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Cool and refrigerate.
• In a heat-proof bowl, lightly whisk the 2 egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, just enough to dissolve the sugar. Place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water and stir constantly until the temperature of the whites reaches 145 degrees F (63 C) or hotter. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, and use an electric mixer to beat the warm egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks.
• Pour the chilled custard into a serving dish. Drop the meringue by heaping tablespoons onto the custard to make islands. Chill before serving.

ALMOND FLOATING ISLANDS WITH CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• For the rum custard sauce
• Put the milk, cornstarch, and sugar in saucepan, and stir occasionally as you heat it. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. When the milk comes to a strong boil, pour it all at once into the yolks while beating continuously with a whisk. The quantity of boiling milk as compared with the quantity of egg yolk is such that the egg yolk will be cooked by the hot milk and not require further cooking. Strain the custard immediately through a fine strainer into a bowl, and stir in the cold cream. When lukewarm, add the vanilla and rum. Set aside until serving time.
• For the butter caramel:
• Put the sugar in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of the water, and stir just enough to moisten the sugar. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture turns caramel-colored (10 to 12 minutes). When caramelized, remove from the stove, add the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, and stir until well mixed. Divide the caramel among eight individual molds with a capacity of 1 to 1 1/2 cups each. Let the caramel cool, then butter lightly around the sides of the molds.
• For the meringue-nut mixture:
• Beat the egg whites until very firm. Sprinkle the sugar quickly on top while beating at high speed with the whisk, and continue beating for another 10 seconds. Fold in the chopped almonds.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag without a tip, and squeeze it into the caramelized molds. Tap the molds on a potholder set on the table, so there are no air bubbles in the center of the meringue. Arrange the molds in a roasting pan surrounded by lukewarm tap water. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until well set in the center and puffy. Remove from the water, and let cool.
• When cool, the individual desserts can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

FLOATING ISLANDS

Steps:

• For the creme anglaise: Add the milk, heavy cream and a pinch of salt to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the vanilla seeds and scraped pod. When the cream begins to simmer, remove it from the heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove the pod and bring the cream mixture back to a simmer.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Temper the eggs by pouring in a small amount of hot cream while continuously whisking. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and continue to whisk over medium-low heat until fully incorporated.
• Continue to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken, being careful not to let it boil, as this may scramble your eggs. When the creme anglaise can coat the back of a spoon, it's ready to strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.
• For the meringue islands: add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy and beginning to froth. Stop the mixer and add the cream of tartar. Continue to whisk on high while streaming in the sugar. Add a pinch of salt and continue whipping on high. When the whites are glossy and can hold stiff peaks, about 3 minutes, the meringue is ready.
• Meanwhile, add the milk to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Set out a clean tea towel on your countertop.
• Using two large spoons, make quenelles by moving the meringue between the bowls of 2 large spoons, using the edge to scrape the center of the spoon holding the meringue, until you have a three-sided oval
• Gently set each meringue quenelle in the warm milk. Poach for 1 minute then gently flip and poach 1 minute more. (The meringues may shrink a little during cooking.) Remove the poached meringues to the clean tea towel to drain. Transfer the meringues to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for at least one hour before serving.
• For the caramel cage, add the sugar and 1/3 cup water to a very clean medium saucepan. Do not stir or whisk, rather swirl the pot until all the sugar is moistened. Cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until the sugar is amber colored, about 1 more minute; turn off heat. Allow the caramel to cool slightly for 30 seconds and thicken a bit.
• Prepare 4 small, heatproof bowls or metal domes by spraying with cooking spray (this will allow the caramel to release after hardening). Use a spoon to carefully drizzle the hot caramel in a zigzag motion over the interior of the bowl. Repeat with additional spoonfuls, drizzling in the opposite direction to create a crisscross pattern for your caramel cage. Allow the caramel to cool completely before delicately removing.
• Spoon a small pool of chilled creme anglaise in the center of each plate. Place 2 to 3 poached meringues in the center of each pool. Top with a caramel cage.

FLOATING ISLANDS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla bean. Let sit 15 minutes to infuse. Whisk yolks with 1 cup of the sugar then temper with hot milk. Return to the heat and cook gently to thicken. Strain and place over ice water and stir to cool and thicken. Chill.
• Simmer 2 quarts of water in a large frying pan but do not boil. Meanwhile, beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add the remaining 3/4-cup of sugar and continue beating until glossy, about 30 more seconds. Place a large sheet pan next to the water, lined with waxed paper dampened slightly. Using a large star tip or 2 dessert spoons or an ice cream scoop, squeeze out rosettes onto the paper.
• Using a spatula, lift the rosettes off the paper 1 at time and slide them into the simmering water. Poach for 7 minutes on the bottom then turn over for 3 minutes, not allowing them to touch while poaching. Drain on a dish towel. Remove to a sheet pan and chill.
• Crystallized Rose Petals: Whisk water and egg white in medium-sized mixing bowl. Dip rose petals into mixture and stick to inside rim of bowl to drain. Dip both sides of drained petals in sugar and place on a sheet pan with parchment paper. Let dry for 4 hours in a warm place.
• Serve floating islands in a bowl of the vanilla sauce, garnished with rose petals.