Floating Island Custard 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.

FLOATING ISLANDS WITH LEMON-SCENTED CUSTARD SAUCE AND RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Bring cream and milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Using whisk, beat egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl until light, about 2minutes. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Pour custard into bowl. Stir in lemon juice and peel. Cool slightly, then chill uncovered until cold. do ahead Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
• For meringue islands:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes and dust with sugar. Place on baking sheet. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites with pinch of salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Divide meringue among prepared souffl dishes, mounding slightly. Bake until meringues puff and begin to brown lightly on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, at least 20 minutes and up to 3 hours (meringues will deflate).
• Divide custard sauce among 6 shallow soup bowls. Carefully run small sharp knife around edge of meringues to loosen, if necessary. Invert meringues, then turn top side up and place on sauce. Garnish with lemon slices and sprinkle with raspberries.

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 ISLAND

Steps:

• Stir 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in 2 cups water (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over high heat until any hard caramel bits dissolve. Boil until syrup is reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter rimmed baking sheet. Toss almonds with 2 tablespoons caramel syrup in bowl to coat. Spread almond mixture on prepared sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature. (Caramel syrup and almond mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and store at room temperature.)
• Spray 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Coat pan lightly with sugar. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites on high speed in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Beat until stiff and glossy. Transfer meringue to prepared pan. Bake until top is puffed and golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Turn meringue out onto lightly oiled baking sheet. Let stand 15 minutes. Using serrated knife, cut meringue into 1-inch-thick slices.
• Spoon Vanilla Custard Sauce onto plates. Top with meringue slice, then drizzle with caramel sauce. Sprinkle with caramelized almonds and serve.

FLOATING ISLANDS

Steps:

• Heat the milk and vanilla in a pan until steaming. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Continue whisking while you pour the hot milk over the egg yolks in a steady stream, until combined. Transfer back to the pan, and heat over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 mins. It shouldn't be custard thick, more of a thick double cream consistency. Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with a scrunched piece of baking parchment and leave to cool. Once cool, chill until ready to serve.
• Put the egg white in a stand mixer. Whisk for 4-5 mins until you get soft peaks. With the motor still running, add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, allowing it to be incorporated before adding the next. When all the sugar has been added, whisk for another 2-3 mins until stiff.
• Pour the milk and 200ml water into a wide pan or medium frying pan and heat until steaming, but not boiling. Add heaped teaspoons of the meringue mix into the milk, using another teaspoon to slide the meringue off the spoon, and gently poach for 3-4 mins (you don't need to move them around). Carefully turn the meringues over and cook the other side for 3-4 mins until set. Remove the meringues from the milk and leave to cool on a plate.
• To make the caramel, heat the sugar, 1 tbsp water and pinch of salt in a small pan and cook on a medium heat until you get a lightly golden caramel, about 10 mins. Keep warm for drizzling at the end.
• To serve, briefly stir, then spoon the custard into four ramekins or small bowls. Top each with a meringue and a drizzle of caramel.

FLOATING ISLAND CUSTARD

Steps:

• Scald the milk in the top of a double boiler. Separate two of the eggs, set the whites aside, and beat together slightly the one egg, two yolks, four Tablespoons sugar, and salt.
• Add the scalded milk to the egg mixture, mix thouroughly, and return to top of double boiler. Cook over hot water, stirring frequently, until the mixture coats the spoon.
• Remove from heat, add vanilla, cool, and pour into a glass dish or into custard cups. Note: I pour this through a strainer to catch any fragments of cooked egg white, which can be an unpleasant surprise while enjoying the custard.
• Beat the two egg whites untill stiff, and beat two to four tablespoons of fine granulated or powdered sugar. (Another Note: I didn't have either on hand, so, not to be outdone, I put my sugar into a plastic bag and introduced it to my marble rolling pin.)
• Drop the meringue onto the custard by spoonfuls, and chill thoroughly.