OEUFS A LA NEIGE AU CHOCOLAT (FLOATING ISLAND WITH CHOCOLATE)

Oeufs A La Neige Au Chocolat (Floating Island With Chocolate) image

Provided by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Categories dessert

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 ounces eating chocolate (bittersweet)
3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup water

Steps:

Separate the eggs. Combine the yolks with 2/3 cup sugar. Beat until the yolks are very thick.
Heat the milk to just below boiling. Add vanilla. Whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, stirring continuously. Place the mixture in the top of a double boiler, over but not in boiling water, and continue whisking until the mixture reaches approximately 180 degrees.
Place in the refrigerator to cool.
Beat the egg whites with about 1/4 cup sugar until very stiff.
Fill two pans with water and place over high heat. Bring to a high simmer but not a boil. Lower the heat and, with a soup spoon, make little snowballs (about 15 or 16) from the egg whites. Poach each snowball in water - with two pans they can be done in two batches. The water must never boil. The egg-white balls should poach approximately 3 minutes on each side. Turn them with a fork.
Drain the egg-white snowballs on a cake rack set over a bowl so any water will drain into the bowl.
Place the snowballs on top of the cold custard. At the last minute melt the chocolate in a double boiler, over but not in boiling water, adding a little water, 2 to 3 tablespoons, to thin the chocolate. If there is a delay and the chocolate mixture thickens, reheat it, adding more water.
When ready to serve, pour the chocolate mixture into a warm pitcher and pass to pour over the poached meringues and custard.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 359, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 45 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 132 milligrams, Sugar 43 grams, TransFat 0 grams