Floating Island

A beautifully decadent dessert featuring silky meringue, creamy vanilla custard, and a rich caramel sauce perfect for your family or dinner guests. And it's easier to make than you think.

Course Dessert

Cuisine English, French

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 50

Servings

Calories 348kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

Meringue

¼ cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1⅔ cups egg whites, about 12 eggs at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
Pinch salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Vanilla Sauce

1 cup whole milk
1 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
5 large egg yolks
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

Caramel Sauce

1½ cups granulated sugar
¾-1 cup water
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
3 ounces unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Meringue

Preheat the oven to 250℉/120℃.
Spray a 4-quart, 3-inch-deep baking dish with baking spray. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Then tap to shake off any excess sugar. Set aside.
Pour the egg whites into a medium stainless-steel bowl. Let them sit out for 20 minutes if the eggs are straight out of the fridge.
Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until they foam up.
Add salt and cream of tartar and keep whisking the egg white mixture until soft peaks form.
Increase the mixer speed to high and add sugar one tablespoon at a time until it has been used up and the meringue is thick and glossy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you need.
Pour in the vanilla and add lemon zest. Next, transfer the meringue to the prepared baking dish.
Bake on the lower rack in the middle of the oven for about 40-45 minutes until the meringue has risen 3-4 inches or a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove and let it cool while you make the vanilla sauce.

Vanilla Sauce

Pour the milk and cream into a medium-size saucepan.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds using a sharp knife. Then, add the pod and seeds to the cream and milk mixture.
Heat the cream and milk mixture over medium-low heat until tiny bubbles appear around the edges. Then remove it from the stove.
Whisk the yolks and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until it becomes pale in color.
Pour a small amount of the cream and milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture so you can temper the egg yolk mixture, preventing it from curdling when added to the hot liquid.
After tempering the egg mixture, pour all of it into the milk mixture.
Return the saucepan to the heat and continue cooking on low heat until the sauce thickens slightly (about 5-6 minutes). If you're unsure the vanilla cream is done, use an instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature. It should read 170℉/76℃, never more than 180℉/82℃.
Remove vanilla pods. Stir in a pinch of salt if desired. Let the sauce cool to room temperature.
Place the sauce in individual serving bowls and put them in the fridge until ready to serve.

Caramel Sauce

Add sugar and enough water to moisten the sugar in a medium saucepan. Turn the stove to medium heat, then stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves and the water is clear. Clean any crystals that may have formed on the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush.
Cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns an amber hue, approximately 10 minutes. For a deep and rich amber color, cook for an extra 2 minutes or more until you reach your desired color.
Warm the heavy cream in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Reduce heat and whisk in heavy cream and butter. Don't be alarmed if the caramel bubbles up.
Continue stirring until heavy cream and butter have been fully incorporated into the caramel mixture, about 2-3 minutes. It should be smooth and thick. Stir in vanilla extract and salt, if desired.
Take the caramel sauce off the heat and let it cool to room temperature, keeping in mind that it will thicken up even more as it cools.

Assembly

Remove individual bowls from the fridge.
Scoop out 2-3 meringues with an ice cream scoop or spoon, placing them on the vanilla sauce.
Drizzle caramel sauce over the meringues and serve with fruit, if desired.

Notes

To see if your vanilla sauce is thick enough, coat the back of a spoon with it. If you run your finger across the back of the spoon, it should leave a visible track. See the picture to know how it will look.
Even if you temper your egg yolks in the vanilla sauce, there's still a slight chance some of the egg might end up cooking. That doesn't mean your dessert is ruined, though. As long as there aren't too many lumps, you can simply pour the sauce through a fine sieve to remove any cooked egg lumps, and voila! Perfectly creamy vanilla sauce.
When making the caramel, swirl the saucepan with sugar and water as needed instead of stirring to prevent crystals from forming.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition