"FLOATING ISLANDS" WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE AND CRèME ANGLAISE

Categories Mixer Chocolate Dairy Dessert Bake Freeze/Chill Valentine's Day Oscars Wedding New Year's Eve Winter Anniversary Chill Bon Appétit

Yield Makes 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

For Meringue:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
For Mousse:
3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4cup crème fraîche or whipping cream
Crème Anglaise
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, shaved
Assorted berries

Steps:

Make meringue:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray six 1/2-cup muffin cups with oil spray. Whisk sugar and egg whites in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk egg-white mixture until thermometer inserted into mixture registers 160°F, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat meringue until soft peaks form.
Reserve 1/2 cup meringue in bowl. Cover; chill. Spoon remaining meringue into prepared muffin cups, dividing equally. Smooth tops with knife. Place muffin cups in large glass baking dish. Pour enough hot water into dish to come halfway up sides of muffin cups. Bake until meringue is set but still moist, about 25 minutes. Remove muffin cups from dish. Cool to room temperature. Cover; chill.
Make mousse:
Place 3 ounces chopped chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Let chocolate mixture stand at room temperature until cool to touch but not set, about 30 minutes.
Beat crème fraîche in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold crème fraîche and reserved 1/2 cup meringue into chocolate mixture. Leaving meringue in each muffin cup, scoop out center of each meringue, forming cup with 1/2-inch-thick bottom and sides. Fill meringue cups with mousse. Cover and chill until set, at least 1 hour.
Spoon Crème Anglaise onto plates. Run small sharp knife around sides of meringue cups. Carefully turn meringues out. Place atop sauce. Sprinkle shaved chocolate over. Garnish with berries.