Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is the traditional and elegant French dessert called “Floating Islands" or "Îles Flottantes".
A classic French comfort food, floating islands (or îles flottantes) are meringues poached in custard or milk and topped with a caramel sauce. It is a popular French childhood dessert that often brings back sweet memories and is considered to be a real treat. Floating islands are also known as "oeufs à la neige" in French or "Schnee- Eier" in German (which in turn means "snow eggs").
This is a dreamy kind of dessert that requires a few different steps before it can be enjoyed. I started with the vanilla custard sauce that contains nothing but egg yolks, sugar, milk, some cream and the scraped seeds of a vanilla bean. Then I made the caramel sauce with sugar, water, butter and lemon juice. The third step was the meringue that following Dorie´s recipe contains six egg whites, a pinch of sea salt, sugar and more vanilla (I used vanilla bean seeds again).
Then you can either poach the meringues in milk with sugar or bake them in a water filled baking dish - I chose to fill the bottoms of eight oven-proof ramekins with the caramel sauce, filled the dishes to the rim with the meringue, placed the dishes in a water bath and baked them in the oven for a good twenty minutes. Of course, if you poach the meringues, they will look more like "oeufs à la neige" or "snow eggs" and if you bake them, they will look more like "îles" or "islands".
Some of my dreamy islands were served in a generous pool of that homemade vanilla custard sauce, some were served just as is with some added caramel sauce - they were gone before I had a chance to explain why I had been in the kitchen for so long preparing this very French dessert...
Well, at least now I have a bit of routine preparing these and it will hopefully not take me that long next time, good, because I am planning on making these again.
To take a look at some more floating islands, or snow eggs or baked meringues that were prepared by the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group, please click here.
They are so gorgeous in indivudual servings! I should them that way the next time. And with creme anglaise, I do love it. Your pictures are beautiful Andrea! Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeletePaula, thank you - these were nice in small serving dishes - I happen to love everything small, and serving food, especially dessert in small portions, that´s whay I opted for the individual ramekins and I am glad I did - they were just right for the kids and us.
DeleteBeautiful job! They look delicious and such a lovely presentation. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteGeraldine, thank you for your nice comment - we liked this dessert quite a bit and when I found the first fresh small "muscat grapes" today, I thought they would be a perfect partner to these floating islands.
DeleteGorgeous, Andrea! Yes, a lot of steps...but an outstanding result!
ReplyDeleteLiz, thank you - this was a wonderful dessert and a great recipe to try.
DeleteIf I see this dessert on a restaurant menu, I have to order them. They are so light and delicious. I can just imagine how good yours were and why they went so fast. I'll have to remember the German name and look for them on our trip. :)
ReplyDeleteKaren, "snow eggs" or "Schnee-Eier" are pretty popular in Europe and this dessert cerainly has a certain dreaminess about it, a lightness, yet it is sweet and decadent at the same time. A must try dessert! Thank you for the nice comment, dear Karen!
DeleteCreamy, elegant, and delicious. I've never heard of floating islands before, but now I want to make this...and soon. What a great dessert to enjoy at the end of a long August day. Thank you for sharing such a creamy delight! Hugs to you and the girls!!!
ReplyDeleteMonet, for some resaon I always considered these desserts as something I would never be able to make - but I did make them, they looked wonderful and were devoured on the spot - so glad that I tried my hands at this traditional French dessert and made these "snow eggs" after all. Thanks for the sweet comment, dear friend!
DeleteAbsolutely gorgeous Floating Islands, Andrea! And such a lovely presentation! I love that the Germans call these “snow eggs”... a perfect name! Glad your family enjoyed them. They will definitely be made again in my house! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteKathy, we all seem to agree on these, didn´t we - what a lovely way too end a Friday and what a great recipe.
DeleteI too find the name "snow eggs" to be so charming. My the things we learn from our Doristas - it makes the experience such fun ! And I was already sold and doing these as individual versions next time (because there WILL be a next time !) but now I am absolutely going to follow your lead and fill the bottoms with caramel sauce before baking. Genius !
ReplyDeleteTricia, well, your gold flakes impressed me and all your additions as well - I liked seeing all the different ways of preparing or serving these that the memebers of the group came up with - thank you for the kind comment, Tricia!
DeleteYours is the second I have seen which was baked in the caramel sauce. What a great idea! I will definitely be stealing it.
ReplyDeleteRose, this is a convenient way to make and bake the floating islands - caramel in the bottom of the ramekins make everything less messy and they are easy to unmold too.
DeleteWhat a luscious dessert, i must try it....
ReplyDeleteThanks, dear!
DeleteNow that I am reading several FFWD blogs, it is really fun to see all the different variations. I love the lightness of this version - and I always love making things in individual servings so they look really pretty when served at the table. Your photos, as always, are so beautiful. ~ David
ReplyDeleteDavid, how fun that you got swept up in the FFwD group - why don´t you join us then - that would be fun! But before you do - make sure to join ME in my River Cottage Veg Everyday series for a few posts! That would be evn more fun! And I am quite happy that you enjoy my photography - these floating islands very disappearing before my eyes and I had to srcamble to take pictures yesterday.
DeleteI don't think I could take the FFWD pressure! :) I would rather do River Cottage Veg Everyday with you! Once the book arrives, I will let you know. As I said - probably in really bad German like a 2 year-old - your children are so lucky to have you as their mother!
DeleteDavid, I do not have any doubt whatsoever that you could handle FFwD with the greatest of ease but I much rather have you in my boat for the River Cottage Veg Everyday adventure (I am not ashamed to admit)! Do let me know when the book arrives and if you have the time, I would not mind hearing what you think about it. Thank you for your most kind words, dear David!
DeleteLUSH)))Decedent))
ReplyDeleteNot floating islands! Floating Heavens!
YUmmmmmmm. Xxx
Kim, ah, those lovely comments - you certainly made my day - thank you so much for your kindness!
DeleteGorgeous! Enough people had success with the ramekins that I am going to have to try the mini version using them very soon.
ReplyDeleteI think I would love to see a snow egg version :-)
Cher, the ramekin version is fun and it it easier to recognize when the meringue is "baked". Thanks for the nice comment - you might want to try this version nnext time.
DeleteYour individual dream islands look delicious floating in their sea of custard and caramel sauce.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much - I like the idea of this dessert and a bit of homemade vanilla custard sauce and caramel never hurt either.
DeleteI love how the English translations for this dessert is different for different languages. I think I like snow-eggs best. I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm getting motivated from everyone's posts. Have a great weekend, Andrea.
ReplyDeleteBetsy, if you do get a chance to make these, do so because the "snow-eggs" are fancy and elegant and easy to make (although the steps did take some time) and they are so worth it. Thank you very much for the comment, dear Betsy!
DeleteTHIS CLASSIC FRENCH DESSERT IS SO COMFORTING WITH A FOAMY TOP AND CUSTARD BENEATH...YOU HAVE DONE IT PERFECTLY...BEAUTIFUL FOOD CLICKS TOO,YUMMY DESSERT :-)
ReplyDeleteKumar, you are very kind, my dear - how fun that you enjoy this classic French dessert - but I must say that it was just as delicious as it looks - meringue, vanilla sauce and caramel are hard to beat.
Deletelooks delicious....just mouthwatering!
ReplyDeleteKaylan, thank you very much!
DeleteYour picture of the Îles Flottantes is absolutely like the dessert served at the Institute de Francais in Villefranche when I attended there to study French. Simple and elegant looking, nothing added. How that head baker made those for 96 students and teachers, I will never know. Your four pictures and discription brought home such memories to me. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteMary, so nice to read that this dessert brought back wonderful memories for you! This is such a classic French dessert!
DeleteSnow eggs, what a perfectly delightful name for these little treasures. As always, I love reading your blog, so interesting and beautiful photo journey.
ReplyDeleteChristy, thank you for the kind words - this was a recipe that I had never tried before but admired form a afar for years - I am glad that I finally made this lovely French dessert and I had a fun time with taking some "dreamy" kind of pictures.
DeleteVery, VERY, gorgeous islands ya got there!
ReplyDeleteTrvor, well, thank you very much!
DeleteHow beautiful! I just love these FFwD. In fact that is how i came to know you. I spied a comment you hadlef on Trevor's site (Sis.Boom.Blog!) and I clicked on it. Your Ile Flottante are perfect.
ReplyDeleteAdri, I it really nice to read that peolple are enjoying the FFwD posts - they are a bit time consuming, fun and always a challenge and I am quite happy that I joined as I have learned and still learn a lot along the way.
DeleteI agree that the individual servings are much prettier than the wedges from the larger version. Yours are as ethereal as any of this dessert's names suggest.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, so kind of you, thank you - I like the versatility of preparing this dessert - small, large, it always tastes nice but as you, I prefer individual servings.
DeleteLove the individual size, Andrea. My mother used to make merengón, the tall fluffy meringue cake like Paula’s, and served the creme anglaise on the side sometimes when we had company over. It was probably the most impressive dessert I had ever seen her make while growing up and I loved it. I know this needs the catch-up treatment soon.
ReplyDeleteAdsriana, thank you - the individual sizes are not also more pretty but they are certainly more convenient to serve - I like to have everything at the ready when I am serving dessert after a long long day.
DeleteI'm definitely going to try caramel sauce next time. It sounds like an excellent addition....Also, your vegetables on the grill look excellent. I've never tried grilling cherry tomatoes. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteJora, caramel sauce is wonderful with this dessert - not too heavy or too sweet, just right.
DeleteAnd I am very pleased to read that you are following along my veg adventure. Grilled cherry tomatoes are hard to beat.
I know we would love this recipe. Pinned for later
ReplyDeleteWould would enjoy this dessert, I am sure - and all you need is a bit of planning and time, the rest is not too difficult at all.
DeleteThis is a French classic that I have been meaning to try for ages, I really like the idea of the caramel sauce with these - really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteKaren, I had been waiting way too long to finally try this French classic dessert as well - do not know what I was waiting for because it is delicious.
DeleteLovely, lovely!
ReplyDeleteNever made or eaten floating island. I often confuse it w Baked Alaska which always reminds me of a funny seen from the Hepburn/Tracy comedy Desk Set.
Gotta try this at home.
Thanks, Andrea doll! oxo
Colette, baked Alaska - floating islands - these names...it is hard to keep track of all things food these day. But it is certainly worth making these beauties at least once, they are simply delicious - no matter what you call them - thanks so much for all the lovely comments, dear Colette!
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