Floating Island Dessert (Île Flottante)

Quick Summary: Floating island dessert (île flottante) is a classic French dessert of light meringue floating on vanilla custard (crème anglaise), finished with caramelized hazelnuts. In this modern version, the meringue is baked in half-sphere molds at 355°F (180°C) for 3 minutes instead of being poached. Naturally gluten-free, it can be made ahead, and serves 6.

What is a floating island dessert?

Floating island dessert is a light French dessert of soft meringue set on a pool of vanilla custard sauce (crème anglaise), so the meringue looks like an island floating on a creamy sea. It is also known as œufs à la neige, which means "snow eggs" in English, and in French it is called île flottante.

You may also see it called a floating dessert, floating island meringue, floating island cake, or in the plural îles flottantes. Traditionally, the meringue is poached in milk.

Still, this modern floating island recipe bakes it in half-sphere molds for a cleaner shape and finishes each one with crunchy caramelized hazelnuts. Do not confuse it with bird's milk, which is a different meringue dessert.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Simple ingredients: this floating island recipe is easy, straightforward, and uses just a handful of pantry staples.

• Naturally gluten-free: it is made without wheat flour so that everyone can enjoy it regardless of dietary needs.

• Make-ahead friendly: prepare the parts in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble and serve.

• Perfect for a crowd: served as half-spheres instead of the traditional large shape, one batch gives you plenty of individual portions for up to 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: Use water 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 a nut mix.

• Butter: Use unsalted butter.

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

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

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

Equipment

• stand or electric mixer with a whisk attachment
• silicone half-sphere molds
• pastry bag with Ateco plain tip 809
• small offset spatula
• small saucepan
• cooking thermometer
• fine-mesh sieve or chinois strainer
• wooden spatula
• food processor
• pastry brush

How to make floating island dessert

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

Pro tip: Consult the crème 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. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over low to medium heat for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring and tracing an "8" with a wooden spatula. Do not let the custard boil!

Step 4. Stop cooking just before boiling (use a cooking thermometer; the temperature should be between 179-183°F (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, crème anglaise is ready.

Step 5. Pass through a fine sieve or chinois strainer into another bowl set over a larger container with ice cubes to stop the cooking. 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 until you get a 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 (no baking sheet 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 gently press each silicone half-sphere to release the baked meringue mounds (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, stirring constantly 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 in the crushed caramelized nuts. Pour crème anglaise into individual bowls and top with a meringue sphere.

Expert tips

1. Refer to the crème 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 the meringue half-spheres, turn them out onto parchment, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

How to serve it

Serve the floating island dessert cold, with the baked meringue set on chilled crème anglaise just before eating so it stays crisp. From there, you can dress it up with any of these classic toppings:

• caramel sauce drizzled or swirled over the dessert
• spun sugar shaped into a light caramel nest
• nuts, such as hazelnuts, pistachios, toasted almonds, or pink praline, sprinkled over the custard
• fresh, in-season berries and fruit, such as strawberries, raspberries, banana, or kiwi, arranged over the islands
• a mint leaf placed on top for a touch of color

Recipe variations

The floating island dessert comes in several forms, mostly depending on how the meringue is shaped and cooked:

• Poached meringue (œufs à la neige): the traditional method. Shape the meringue into large quenelles with two spoons, poach them in barely simmering milk or water for a couple of minutes, then lift them out with a slotted spoon.

• Baked meringue: the modern take used in this recipe. Pipe or spoon the meringue into silicone half-sphere molds, or into small mounds on a lined baking dish, and bake it briefly for a clean, even shape.

• Large caramel-lined mold: bake one big meringue in a caramel-coated mold set in a water bath, then unmold it over the custard for a single showpiece island.

• Different flavors and toppings: infuse the crème anglaise with coffee, praline, or citrus zest, or swap the caramelized hazelnuts for pistachios, toasted almonds, or pink praline.

Storing & freezing

Assemble and serve the floating island dessert the same day so the meringue stays light and the caramelized nuts stay crunchy.

You can, however, prepare the parts ahead: keep the crème anglaise covered with plastic wrap in contact in the fridge for up to 2 days, store the caramelized hazelnuts in an airtight container at room temperature, and keep the baked meringue half-spheres in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

Can you freeze a floating island? No. Neither the assembled dessert nor the crème anglaise freezes well, because the custard separates and the meringue turns watery once thawed. It is best made fresh.

Recipe FAQ

What dessert is called a floating island?
A floating island, also known as île flottante, is a classic French dessert made of soft meringue floating on crème anglaise, a light vanilla custard.

What is a floating island in French?
A floating island is called île flottante or œufs à la neige in French, which means "eggs in snow."

What is the difference between a floating island and œufs à la neige?
They are closely related. Œufs à la neige are small poached meringues served in crème anglaise, while a floating island is often a single larger meringue set on the same custard. Both are French classics, and the names are frequently used interchangeably.

Who invented the floating island?
The chef Auguste Escoffier is credited with the floating island at the end of the 19th century. His version, however, was not made with meringue; it was based on Savoy biscuit, apricot jam, whipped cream, and custard.

How do you make a modern floating island dessert?
Bake the meringue in silicone half-sphere molds for a clean, even shape, then set it on chilled crème anglaise and finish with caramelized hazelnuts. You can also use muffin molds or ramekins for a similar presentation.

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

Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for my latest updates. If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below!

Print

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.