Description
Ile Flottante with Pink Praline is a classic French dessert featuring light and airy floating meringue islands resting on a creamy vanilla custard base called crème Anglaise. Enhanced with the delicate crunch and flavor of pink praline, this elegant dessert is perfect for impressing guests or enjoying a sophisticated treat in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Crème Anglaise
- 11.5 fl oz (340 ml) whole milk
- 3.5 fl oz (105 ml) heavy cream, 30% fat
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 4 large egg yolks (70 g), at room temperature
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) granulated sugar
Meringue
- 4 large egg whites (150 g), at room temperature
- 6 1/2 tablespoons (90 g) caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1.2 oz. (35 g) Pink Praline, crushed
Topping
- 0.5 oz. (15 g) chopped pink praline
Instructions
- Prepare the Crème Anglaise: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, the scraped seeds of the vanilla bean, and the emptied vanilla bean pod. Heat gently until warm.
- Mix Egg Yolks and Sugar: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Temper the Egg Yolks: Slowly add the hot milk and cream mixture to the egg yolks while whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
- Cook the Custard: Over low heat, stir constantly with a whisk until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Use a candy thermometer to reach 180°F (82°C). Immediately remove from heat.
- Cool the Custard: Remove the vanilla bean pod from the custard. Pour the crème Anglaise into a clean bowl, cover with plastic film touching the surface to prevent a skin, and let cool to 73°F (23°C) at room temperature or refrigerate.
- Preheat Oven: Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Make the Meringue: Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at low speed until frothy. Gradually add caster sugar and increase to medium speed. Whisk until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes.
- Incorporate Praline and Zest: Gently fold the crushed pink praline and lemon zest into the meringue using a rubber spatula.
- Form and Bake Meringue: Using a large tablespoon, place six mounds of meringue onto the parchment paper. Bake for approximately 5 minutes until firm but still light. Allow meringues to cool completely.
- Assemble the Dessert: Pour the chilled crème Anglaise into martini glasses or glass bowls. Place one meringue mound on top of each serving.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle chopped pink praline over the meringue and serve immediately.
Notes
- Ile flottante, or floating island dessert, is a classic French dessert that combines light meringue islands with creamy vanilla custard.
- The dessert can be made in less than an hour, making it suitable for last-minute entertaining.
- For best texture, serve the dessert shortly after assembling to maintain the delicate contrast between creamy custard and airy meringue.
- The pink praline adds a lovely nutty sweetness and a beautiful pink color to the dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 floating meringue with custard
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 33.1 g
- Sodium: 61 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.8 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 7.4 g
- Cholesterol: 189 mg
