Ready for some time in the kitchen to prepare this knockout Floating Island dessert? You make it in three steps and assemble it to plate and serve.
Floating islands, also known as île flottante, are a delightful dessert consisting of delicate meringue islets floating atop a creamy vanilla custard, crème anglaise. The meringue is baked slowly and gently in a water bath (bain-marie) You may serve it at room temperature or chilled.
Benjamin Franklin enjoyed this dessert during his visit to Paris. And in 19th Century America, it was considered a traditional 4th of July dessert.
Make this dessert one step at a time. We’ll show you how.
Floating Island Ingredients
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Ingredients for four delectable servings:
Light Vanilla Custard
2 cups Milk full-fat milk is the best
½ teaspoon vanilla pod seeds or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
⅔ cup granulated sugar
Poached Meringue
4 Egg Whites
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Vanilla Custard – Crème Anglaise
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The custard is the sea to float the meringue islands.
Similar to custard in preparation,
Vanilla custard, or crème anglaise, is slightly thinner than regular custard with a consistency similar to cream.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Set aside the egg whites in a bowl at room temperature for the meringue.
Add the sugar to the bowl with egg yolks. Using an electric beater on high speed, beat the mixture until it lightens in color and becomes fluffy in texture. The process should take approximately one minute.
Set this aside.
Heat The Milk
Gently warm the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a light simmer. Once the mixture begins to bubble, remove it promptly from the heat.
To temper the eggs, gradually add one tablespoon of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously to ensure a smooth and even combination.
Repeat this step to get the eggs used to the heat..
Once the eggs are tempered, transfer the egg mixture from the bowl to the saucepan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, ensuring that the mixture does not boil. Continuously stir until the custard reaches the desired consistency and thickens to your satisfaction. It will coat the back of a spoon or spatula.
If the custard has a few lumps, you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve.
Cool the custard sauce at room temperature in a large bowl. To prevent a skin from forming on the custard, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, ensuring that the wrap is in direct contact with the custard’s surface. Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
Poach the Meringue
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The highlight of the Floating Island dessert is the cloud-like fluffy meringues that sit atop the dessert.
You’ll use the egg whites you separated earlier.
Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Cover, and reduce heat to a very light boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whip the egg whites on high speed until they are near solidification, a process that takes roughly 45 seconds
To achieve stiff peaks, halt the beater’s operation, add sugar, and resume beating.
Remove the lid from the saucepan and scoop out a quarter cup of stiffed egg white. Gently drop the egg white onto the surface of the gently boiling water and cook for 30 seconds on each side.
Drain the cooked poached meringue with a slotted spoon, place it on a plat, and leave it to cool.
Repeat until all the egg whites are cooked.
Assemble The Floating Island
For each serving pour the custard into the bottom of the plate or bowl. Place the meringue on top and then garnish.
There are two ways to serve this floating island recipe:
Refrigeration: Place both the custard and cooked poached eggs in an airtight container before storing them in the fridge. Let them chill for a few hours prior to serving.
Warm: In some French restaurants, the custard and meringue are both served cold. To ensure a successful dish, make the custard several hours or even a day in advance of serving.
Garnish for Floating Island
Use your imagination to create a topping for your floating islands.
Here are some ideas:
- Raspberries or strawberries
- Sliced almonds
- Chopped pistachios
- Coconut flakes
- Shaved chocolate
- A drizzle of homemade caramel sauce
- Caramel Sauce
- ¼ cup sugar
For the caramel sauce, in a small, heavy-based pan, heat the sugar over high heat for several minutes until it melts and turns amber. Remove from the heat and carefully add 3 tbsp water—watch out as it will spit quite violently. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool completely.
Amaze Your Guests
Serving Floating Island dessert is always a knockout for guests. It’s not too heavy with delicate tastes and looks fantastic. Enjoy.
About the Author
Zara Altair is a writer and author of historical mysteries set in 6th Century Italy. She is passionate about books, film, film history, and sharing her knowledge with others. Engage with Zara, her educational insights, and her tips for fellow writers by following her on X(Twitter) and Threads.
Zara is a seasoned journalist and accomplished writer with deep expertise spanning entertainment, literature, film writing, neuroscience, and health. Zara blends critical analysis with a profound passion for storytelling.
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