Floating islands are similar to snow eggs but are baked in the oven in abain-marie(water bath). The dessert can be made in individual portions, as here, or in a large soufflé mold.
每个模具的底部涂上一种焦糖finished with butter to keep it a bit softer. The filled molds are then cooked, surrounded by water, in a roasting pan. Some of the caramel adheres to the bottom of the dishes when the floating islands are unmolded, but some of it drips down over the desserts to mix with the custard sauce.
The rum-custard sauce is made with fewer egg yolks than traditionally called for in a custard cream. The milk, cornstarch, and sugar mixture is brought to a rolling boil and poured directly on top of the yolks. Because of the small proportion of egg yolks to milk, the temperature of the mixture rises to 180 degrees, ensuring that the lecithin in the egg yolks wil thicken. The sauce doesn't need further cooking and is strained to eliminate any curdled pieces. Here the custard sauce is flavored with rum, but it could be flavored with cognac, bourbon or vanilla instead.
Floating islands can be cooked a day or so ahead and kept, covered, in the refrigerator so the tops don't get rubbery. Covering also keeps the dessert moist, preventing the sugar from hardening around the edge of the molds, and thus making the floating islands easier to unmold.
Ingredients
8 servings
Rum custard sauce
Butter caramel
Meringue-nut mixture
Decoration
For the rum custard sauce
Step 1
Put the milk, cornstarch, and sugar in saucepan, and stir occasionally as you heat it. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. When the milk comes to a strong boil, pour it all at once into the yolks while beating continuously with a whisk. The quantity of boiling milk as compared with the quantity of egg yolk is such that the egg yolk will be cooked by the hot milk and not require further cooking. Strain the custard immediately through a fine strainer into a bowl, and stir in the cold cream. When lukewarm, add the vanilla and rum. Set aside until serving time.
For the butter caramel:
Step 2
Put the sugar in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of the water, and stir just enough to moisten the sugar. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture turns caramel-colored (10 to 12 minutes). When caramelized, remove from the stove, add the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, and stir until well mixed. Divide the caramel among eight individual molds with a capacity of 1 to 1 1/2 cups each. Let the caramel cool, then butter lightly around the sides of the molds.
For the meringue-nut mixture:
Step 3
Beat the egg whites until very firm. Sprinkle the sugar quickly on top while beating at high speed with the whisk, and continue beating for another 10 seconds. Fold in the chopped almonds.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag without a tip, and squeeze it into the caramelized molds. Tap the molds on a potholder set on the table, so there are no air bubbles in the center of the meringue. Arrange the molds in a roasting pan surrounded by lukewarm tap water. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until well set in the center and puffy. Remove from the water, and let cool.
Step 5
When cool, the individual desserts can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of rum-custard sauce onto individual serving plates, and unmold the small floating islands on top, letting whatever caramel that comes out drip over them. Decorate with some extra toasted almond slices, and serve immediately.
How would you rate Almond Floating Islands with Custard Sauce?
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Reviews (4)
Back to TopVERY good.
jfmepi040110
8/5/2010
yummy!
innerspirenate
NH
7/20/2010
I give it a 3 forks. Good, but not my favorite! It actually works really well with coconut rum too!
Anonymous
NH
7/20/2010
This is surprisingly mild. For someone who doesn't like things too sweet, i actually enjoyed it! Fun and easy to make too.
Anonymous
NH
7/6/2010
