Floating Islands Dessert

French floating islands dessert is a delicate and fluffy meringue islands floating in a pool of Crème Anglaise, a creamy vanilla custard. Topped off with caramelized hazelnuts, this modern take brings a touch of elegance to any dinner.

Loved by kids and adults, the floating island, or île flottante in French, is one of the quintessential desserts of French cuisine.

And if you are looking for a light and fancy sweet treat to finish your dinner party, the floating island meringue will serve the purpose.

It also is perfect for serving during Christmas time as a white dessert. Equally, it applies to meringue spheres baked using the same silicone half-sphere molds.

What is floating island dessert?

Floating island dessert is a creamy and melting dessert where the foaming meringue resembling an island floats on a vanilla custard sauce (crème Anglaise). The dessert is also known as oeufs à la neige, meaning "snow eggs" in English.

It is often called a floating dessert, floating island meringue, French dessert floating island, or Iles Flottantes. But don't confuse it with another delicious dessert called bird's milk.

Floating island recipe

• This floating island recipe is easy, straightforward, and requires simple ingredients, nothing fancy.

• It is also gluten-free, so everyone will enjoy it regardless of dietary needs.

• With the make-ahead option, you can save time. Prepare in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve.

• Plus, this quick dessert is perfect for gatherings and parties. Instead of the traditional spherical shape, simply serve it as half-spheres. This way, you will have delicious treats to satisfy 12 people.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Sugar: Use a superfine type of sugar: caster sugar or baker's sugar, to make the meringue. Process it with a food processor for a few seconds to make granulated white sugar superfine.

• Eggs: Take whole eggs out of the refrigerator and separate egg whites from egg yolks using an egg separator. Then bring both egg whites and the yolks to room temperature.

• Water is used to make sugar syrup while caramelizing nuts.

• Hazelnuts: Use store-bought roasted hazelnuts or roast nuts yourself in the oven at 355°F (180°C) for 12 minutes. Replace hazelnuts with almonds, pecans, pistachios, or nuts mix.

• Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter.

• Salt enhances the flavor of caramelized nuts. Replace it with fleur de sel if desired.

• Milk: Use whole milk to make creme Anglaise. To lighten up the dessert, replace it with low-fat milk. To make it the opposite, to increase the richness of creme Anglaise, replace half of the whole milk with heavy cream.

• Vanilla bean: Use Madagascar vanilla beans or replace a vanilla bean with one sachet of vanilla sugar.

How to make floating island dessert

Step 1. To make crème Anglaise, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds. Mix egg yolks with scraped seeds of the vanilla pod and sugar using a hand whisk.

Pro tip: Consult the creme Anglaise recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 2. Place milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.

Step 3. Bring everything into the saucepan back and cook over low to medium heat for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring and tracing "8" with a wooden spatula. Do not let the custard boil!

Step 4. Stop cooking just before boiling (using a cooking thermometer, check the temperature that has to be between 179-183°F or 82-84°C). Don't exceed the custard's temperature of 185°F (85°C).

Pro tip: If you do not have a cooking thermometer, use the test. Wait until the white foam disappears. If the custard coats the back of a spoon well and holds a trace while drawing your finger across it, creme Anglaise is ready.

Step 5. Pass it through a fine sieve or chinois strainer into another bowl set over a larger container with ice cubes so the cooking stops. Cover with plastic film in contact and refrigerate until serving.

Step 6. To make the meringue, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Place room temperature egg whites in a large grease-free bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Use an electric whisk or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat egg whites at moderate speed.

Step 7. Increase the speed and continue until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add the caster sugar and whisk to get the glossy meringue with stiff peaks (photo 1).

Step 8. Using a brush, lightly oil the cavities of the silicone half-sphere molds.

Pro tip: Read more about how to bake with silicon molds and how to clean them.

Step 9. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with Ateco plain pastry tip 809 and push it into half-spheres. Or use a large spoon instead, then even top with a bent spatula (photo 2).

Step 10. Bake for 3 minutes on the middle rack of the oven (no baking sheet is required).

Step 11. Remove the mold from the oven, and let it stand for a few minutes (photo 3). Turn out the mold onto parchment paper and slightly press each silicone half-sphere to release the baked mounds of meringue (photo 4).

Step 12. Transfer meringues to parchment and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Step 13. To caramelize hazelnuts, roast hazelnuts at 355°F (180°C) for 12 minutes.

Step 14. Place water and sugar in a saucepan and cook till the temperature is 239°F (115°C). Add the roasted nuts and caramelize them while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.

At first, hazelnuts will be covered with sugar syrup (photo 5); then, they will get coated with sugar (photo 6).

Finally, the sugar will start melting and caramelizing, coating the nuts. At this point, add butter and salt, stirring constantly.

Step 15. Transfer caramelized hazelnuts to parchment paper and let cool (photo 7).

Step 16. Crush lightly using a food processor (photo 8) and keep in an airtight plastic box.

To serve, assemble two half-spheres, and roll them into crushed caramelized nuts. Pour crème Anglaise into individual bowls and arrange a meringue sphere over the custard sauce.

Expert Tips

1. Refer to the creme Anglaise recipe to learn how to make the perfect vanilla custard.
2. Use grapeseed oil or vegetable oil to brush silicone half-spheres before baking.
3. Make-ahead option: Make crème Anglaise, cover with plastic in contact, and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Make caramelized nuts and keep them in an airtight container. Bake meringue half-spheres, turn them on parchment, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

How to serve it

The floating islands desserts is traditionally served on a chilled crème Anglaise with different toppings:

• Caramel sauce drizzled or swirled over the dessert.

• Caramel arranged like a ball of spun sugar.

• Nuts like hazelnuts, pistachios, toasted almonds, or pink praline sprinkled over vanilla custard.

• Fresh berries and fruits are in season (strawberries, raspberries, bananas, kiwi) topped over the floating islands.

• A mint leaf placed on top of the dessert.

Recipe variations

There are several versions of the floating island dessert: the different ways to form and cook the meringue.

• Poached meringue or œufs à la neige represents a French classic. Make large quenelles from the meringue using two tablespoons. Then place them in a poaching liquid (simmering milk or water), cook for a few minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon.

• Baked meringue is a modern take on a classic. Create little heaps of meringue on a prepared baking dish lined with parchment paper, and let them bake to perfection.

Storing and freezing

The assembled floating island should be served and eaten on the same day. But you can make crème Anglaise, caramelize nuts, and bake the meringue half-spheres in advance.

Can you freeze the floating island? Unfortunately, you can't freeze the floating island dessert, the same as crème Anglaise.

Recipe FAQ

Love meringue desserts? Try these next!

• Pavlova Roll
• French Meringue Cake Merveilleux
• Large Meringue
• Vanilla meringue cake
• Meringue mushrooms
• Or browse all the cake recipes

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.mercotte.fr. It was originally published on December 14, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.