Ile Flottante With Pink Praline

If you look for an elegant and sophisticated dessert, for example, on Valentine's Day, this Ile flottante recipe is a good way to go! It is an easy and delicious gluten-free dessert made in less than 50 minutes. Plus, there is a make-ahead option!

Today I will be focused on a festive dessert - Ile flottante (plural Iles flottantes) or a floating island dessert that is perfect for the upcoming Valentine's Day.

The whole dessert is not red or pink as traditional colors of the holiday - it is pinkish to be precise.

Pink Praline adds color, a new taste, texture, and romantic touch to the dessert. Make Pink Praline yourself, following the recipe, or purchase pink crushed pralines.

What is Ile Flottante in English?

Ile Flottante is a dessert of French origin which is translated as a floating island in English.

What is a floating island dessert?

Floating island is a meringue floating on a vanilla custard sauce (creme Anglaise).

Cooked or baked egg whites and custard are the two mandatory elements of the dessert.

As for the decoration, almonds, praline, crushed pink praline, caramel, or zest of lime/lemon is up to the imagination of a chef.

Just be creative and you can make your own ile flottante!

Ile flottante history

Originally, at the end of the 19th century, Ile flottante or floating island was made from slices of sponge cake, soaked with liquor, separated with the apricot marmalade, and served with custard.

Over the years, the recipe of Ile flottante was changed. Today, it is made of egg whites cooked in milk, or in the oven and/or bain-marie/water bath and then placed on the custard.

The egg whites really float because of their lightness. That is why the dessert is called "floating island."

What is custard?

Custard is a sweet sauce made of milk, eggs, and sugar. It can be made as a thin sauce (creme Anglaise) used to pour over Ile flottante or thick pastry cream (crème pâtissière) with the addition of flour, starch, or gelatin to fill pastries.

You have probably heard these culinary terms such as custard, crème anglaise, and pastry cream. What is the difference between custard and crème anglaise?

Creme Anglaise is the same as custard, but it is made as a pouring sauce.

What is the difference between custard and pastry cream? Again, pastry cream is the same as custard, but it is thicker due to included flour or starch.

Why you should try this recipe

1. This dessert is the cutest romantic treat on Valentine's Day. Moreover, the dessert itself is light enough to accompany a "heavy" holiday dinner.
2. The recipe is easy and quick to make. There are no decorating and/or piping skills needed.
3. Making pink praline a few days ahead, baking the meringue in snow, and making the custard on the same day, allows serving Ile flottante in a minute.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

Milk: use whole milk to make the recipe.

Whipping cream: make sure to use whipping cream with at least 30% fat content.

Vanilla bean: use the most flavorful Madagascar vanilla beans.

Egg yolks and egg whites: separate them using an egg separator while the eggs are chilled. Then bring both to room temperature.

Caster sugar: it is superfine sugar that dissolves more easily while making the meringue. You can process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to make it superfine.

Lemon zest: use unwaxed organic lemon to make the zest.

Pink praline: make it yourself or purchase crushed pink praline. Replace it with pistachios or toasted almonds if desired.

How to make Ile flottante

To make creme Anglaise, heat milk, whipping cream, scraped vanilla seeds, and the rest of the vanilla bean in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.

In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar with a hand whisk (photo 1).

Add the hot milk/cream mixture, stir and pour back in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, constantly stirring with the whisk.

It takes about 2 to 3 minutes when custard starts thickening and the temperature reaches 181 F/83 C (use a candy thermometer).

Take the saucepan out of the heat and cool down the bottom of the pan in a cold "bain-marie."

Remove the empty vanilla bean from the ready custard (photo 2). Cover with plastic film in contact and refrigerate.

To make the meringue, preheat the oven to 300 F/150 C. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add sugar and whisk at high speed until the meringue is stiff and glossy.

Add crushed pink praline with lemon zest (photo 3) and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 4). 

Place one large tablespoon of the meringue on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (photo 5).

Continue with the rest of the whites (you will get 6 meringue mounds). Bake for about 5 minutes and let cool afterward.

To serve Ile flottante, pour creme Anglaise on the bottom of martini glasses and place the meringue on top of each serving. Sprinkle with chopped pink praline and serve (photo 6).

Expert tips

1. Check the readiness of creme Anglaise with a cooking thermometer. If you do not have it, cook the mixture for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
2. To make a cold "bain-marie," pour cold water into a large bowl, add some ice. This step is necessary to stop cooking the vanilla custard.
3. Make Pink Praline yourself or purchase pink crushed pralines.
4. Make-ahead option: make the meringue and refrigerate for up to 3 hours. Prepare creme Anglaise in advance and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then serve Ile flottante dessert in a minute. 

Frequently asked questions

Love holiday desserts? Try these next!

• Heart-Shaped Puzzle Cookies
• Rosewater Meringue Roulade
• Raspberry Oreo Cheesecake
• Browse all Valentine's Day Recipes

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The recipe was adapted from http://www.leparisien.fr/. It was originally published on January 07, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

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.