Floating Island Dessert

Versión en español

Floating Island Dessert recipe created with America’s Dairy Farm Families and Importers, in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S.Dairy. However, the views and opinions included are my own.
My daughters thankfully love going to school, but after all the leisure and late mornings of Summer vacation, there is always some anxiety and just laziness going back. So just like my mom just to make it sweeter for me, I try to make it sweeter for them. Hence, this very homey dessert. This year I made them a dessert that reminds me of my grandmother: Floating Islands. It is a dessert of French origin, with a base of vanilla custard, and poached meringues on top.

My less favorite thing of going back to school was getting the uniform; my school had a rigorous dress code with a jumper, shirt, and tie. Also a jacket, so imagine that!. I also remember going shopping for the uniform and the school supplies. The worst for a kid. Now, I do all the shopping online, so at least no need to suffer through that.

In Latin countries, milk based desserts are very popular: rice pudding, semolina pudding, roasted milk, flan and more abound in lunches and dinners every day and also for special occasions. I recommend you try different milk based desserts until you find the perfect one for you or the perfect one to finish a special meal. What I like most about the milk based desserts is that they can be prepared in advance. My favorite is semolina pudding.

I love these traditional homemade desserts; they allow me to reconnect me with my roots, my family and home cooked meals. Milk and dairy products are natural, nutritious, fresh, wholesome and easy everyday options. Whether in quesadillas, rice pudding, soups, glasses of cold chocolate milk, dairy products feed you well. For more inspiration on how to celebrate dairy visit the Dairy Good website.

This version of Floating Islands is special; it is the one my grandmother used to make. She used to add apricot jam to the meringue for extra flavor and a more beautiful color, it’s a fantastic idea.

Visit our collection of Chilean recipes here.

Floating Island Dessert

Serves 8
Ingredients:

• 4 cups milk
• 4 eggs, separated egg whites, and yolks
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

1. Place the milk in a large pot and heat over medium heat until it boils.
2. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, add the jam and continue beating until it forms hard peaks.
3. Place heaping tablespoons of meringue in the milk and cook for a couple of minutes; remove to a dish with a skimmer.
4. In a bowl, beat the yolks with a balloon beater for 30 seconds. Add sugar and cornstarch, beat until well incorporated. Add a ladle of warm milk slowly always beating.
5. Add the egg yolk mixture to the milk pot and continue stirring until it boils and thickens. Turn off the heat.
6. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly. Place the vanilla cream in a baking dish.
7. Place the poached meringues on top and sprinkle with walnuts.
8. Gently brown on the oven broil. Optional.
9. You can also place the cream in cups and add the meringue over, sprinkle with nuts and serve.

This post is created with America’s Dairy Farm Families and Importers, in partnership with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. However, the views and opinions included are my own.