Right before I went home for break a few friends and I had dinner at The Elephant Walk--an absolute treat if you're in Boston! For dessert we ordered Iles Flottantes Aux Fraises, better know as the floating island dessert and popularized in the States by Julia Child.

The dish is a light meringue floating is a sweet, creamy custard, drizzled in buttery carmel, and served with a side of fresh berries. Have you drooled on your screen yet? It was love at first bite. So I scurried home and found a recipe.

Fair warning: it takes a long time and really needs two people or a KitchenAid to pull it off, but it's totally worth it.

Ingredients

Meringue

1 Tablespoon softened butter
1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 2/3 cups egg whites (about 12)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Large pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Creme anglaise

6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups very hot milk
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 Tablesppons unsalted butter (optional)


Caramel sauce

1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon butter

Directions

  1. Start with the meringue. Butter a straight-sided 4-quart baking dish 3" deep and dust the sides and bottom with powdered sugar. Shake out the excess. You could also use a cupcake tin for individual servings. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
  2. Begin beating the egg whites. When they foam throughout, beat in the salt and cream of tartar. Gradually increase the speed to fast until soft peaks form.
  3. After you have soft peaks, begin beating in the sugar by big spoonfuls until all the sugar is incorporated. Continue beating until you have stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla and then transfer your meringue into your baking dish.
  4. Bake for 35-40 minutes (shorter for the cupcake tin) at 250 degrees F. Place the dish in the lower middle of the oven and bake until the meringue has risen 3 to 4 inches--usually in the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. When a skewer or straw comes out clean, the meringue is done. 
  5. Put the baking dish on a rack to cool. The meringue will sink as it cools--totally normal. You can make the meringue in advance if you want. Pop it in an airtight container and it'll keep in the fridge for several days.
  6. Move on to the creme anglaise. Whisk the eggs yolks in a saucepan and add the sugar by rapid spoonfuls. Don't add it all at once or the yolks will be grainy. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and thick.
  7. By dribbles, stir in the hot milk--do not beat. You don't want any foam to form. 
  8. Put the saucepan over medium-low heat and begin stirring slowly with a wooden spoon. The sauce should come close to but shouldn't simmer. You don't want to scramble the eggs but you need to get the sauce warm enough to thicken. The surface bubbles will begin to disappear and a billow of steam will rise when you're almost there. The trick here is not stir too quickly. 
  9. The sauce is done when it coats the wooden spoon. Stir in the vanilla and the optional butter. You can serve it warm, tepid, or cold. You can also store the creme for several days in the fridge.
  10. Make the caramel sauce right before you're ready to serve. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Remove from the heat and swirl the pan to make sure the sugar has dissolved complete and the liquid is clear.
  11. To caramelize the syrup, cover the pan and boil the syrup for several minutes over medium high heat. Once the bubbles are thick, remove the cover and swirl the pan by the handle. Continue boiling and swirling for a few seconds until the syrup begins to color. Once it begins to color remove it from the heat. If you wait too long, too much water will evaporate and your caramel will be grainy. Stir in the butter and cream (have them ready beforehand!). Put the mixture back on a low heat and stir with a fork until any hardened caramel smooths. 
  12. Set the bottom of the pan in a bowl of cold water to cool it and stop the cooking.
  13. To serve, pour some custard into a bowl, add a slide of merinuge, and drizzle caramel over the top. You can add more custard over the top of the meringue if you wish. Add some fresh berries and tuck in!

Recipe adapted from Cafe Johnsonia.
Photo cred: NYT

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