Floating Islands... My 50th TWD!

Floating Islands are a classic European dessert consisting of puffs of meringue floating on a “sea” of crème anglaise.  They are my new favorite dessert right now. Sooo good.

The meringues were nice and fluffy but, honestly, were the component of this recipe I liked the least.  The Crème anglaise (a vanilla flavored custard) was to die for, it was by far my favorite part. My second favorite was the caramel strands for the texture and flavor they added.  To me, the taste was similar to crème brûlée. You can’t ever go wrong there in my opinion.

This was one of the most fun weeks of all of the Tuesdays with Dorie I’ve done. It was a new challenge for me working and shaping meringues and while frustrating a bit at first, it got easier as I went along.  

This dessert is definitely one that impresses.  My boyfriend’s reaction was “wow!” when I showed him the finished product and we both loved the end result.  The prep times are not that bad so this wouldn’t be out of reach for a nice dinner party with friends or a romantic meal with your significant other.  The crème anglaise can even be made up to 3 days in advance.

Thanks to Shari from Whisk: a food blog for selecting Floating Islands for the February 10th, 2009 edition of Tuesdays with Dorie.  The recipe can be found here at Shari’s blog or in Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From my home to yours on pages 401-402. Next week, it’s the Devil’s Food White Out Cake as chosen by Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater.  

Floating Islands marks my 50th completed Tuesdays with Dorie selection. It’s funny to think back to my first week with the group when I was wondering if I could even keep up with it for two weeks in a row! I haven’t missed a week since I started, it’s such a part of my routine that I don’t even think much about it. Here’s to another 50 recipes from Baking: From my home to yours! See you next Tuesday!

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