French Floating Islands (Snow Eggs) Recipe

Floating Islands, or Ile Flottante in French or snow eggs, is a dessert containing poached sweet meringues served on top of crème anglaise and garnished with a caramel sauce and toasted almonds. The meringue is made by whipping egg whites and sugar until light and firm. It is then shaped and placed gently over the creme anglaise and served.

Crème anglaise is a rich, custard style sauce which is made from egg yolks, cream and sugar flavored with vanilla. The French name for this dessert is ‘oeufs a la neige’ which directly translates to eggs in snow or snow eggs, referring to the appearance of the poached meringue. 

This dish is also referred to as floating islands which the French call îles flottantes. While it’s the same dish, the names have different meaning based on its final preparation.

To make oeufs a la neige or snow eggs, the fluffy egg whites are shaped with a spoon and gently poached over water or milk. When making the floating island variation, the fluffy whites are baked in the oven, inside of a mold that is in a bain marie.

A bain marie is a water bath technique used to cook delicate foods evenly. After both methods, the dessert is topped with caramel and almonds – though it most often appears without this traditional topping.

Origin and Cultural Significance

Like with many classic desserts, the exact origins of Floating Islands is debated and uncertain. The first mention of ‘eggs in snow’ was in a French cookbook in the 17th century – however, the recipe didn’t include custard. The dish is a minimum of 200 years old since there is record of it being prepared in America by President Jeffersons’ chef who was trained in French cuisine, around the late 1700’s.

By the 18th century, the dish had grown to become a staple across the country, and by the 19th century, it was popular internationally. 

Using traditional French cooking methods the dish is included in many French recipe books, and first appeared in English cookery books in the 18th century. The dish requires some cookery skills to make and is often enjoyed at formal dinners and special occasions – although some families do enjoy the dessert at home. 

The dish is made by poaching meringues made from egg whites and sugar in milk, before making a vanilla custard from the milk and yolks, and finally floating the meringues on the custard. The dessert is served cold or at room temperature. You can find different variations of the dessert, with thicker and thinner custards, and either caramel sauce or caramelized sugar.

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French Floating Island Recipe

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Floating Islands, or Ile Flottante in French, is a dessert containing poached meringues served on a vanilla custard and garnished with a caramel sauce and toasted almonds.

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Ingredients

• Egg whites - 4
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Cream of tartar - 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Milk - 2 cups
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Egg yolks - 4
• Vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped) - 1
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Water - 2 tbsp

Instructions

1. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vanilla extract.
2. Heat a large pot of milk until simmering. Using two spoons, shape the meringue into oval quenelles and gently drop them into the simmering milk. Poach for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3. Using the same milk add vanilla bean (with seeds) into the saucepan until just simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the vanilla bean and let the custard cool.
5. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
6. Pour the crème anglaise into individual serving bowls. Place a poached meringue "island" on top and drizzle with caramel.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 81mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 0gSugar: 54gProtein: 7g

Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.