Author Notes
Valentine’s Day makes me ten kinds of giddy. I’m not even the kind of girl who’s all about gift giving or fancy meals out. To me, it’s just an excuse to make extra pretty desserts (usually pink ones). Whether you’re baking for your best bud or the love of your life, these desserts make exactly two servings. This means one of two things: You can still stick to your New Year’s resolution afterward, OR you can make a nice variety of treats so your sweet tooth doesn’t get bored with too many boxed chocolates.
This is one of my favorite desserts of all time. It’s made of a few fancy-sounding components, but it’s super easy to create. First, you need vanilla sauce, or crème anglaise. Make it ahead and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Next, you need meringue. Since you’re only serving two, you don’t need much. I used two large egg whites and ⅓ cup sugar. Whip to stiff peaks with an electric mixer. When you’re ready to serve, bring 1 cup of milk to a simmer over medium-low heat. Spoon dollops of meringue into the simmering milk and poach until just set, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the milk with a slotted spoon and reserve.
When you’re ready to serve, simply ladle the crème anglaise into a bowl. To dress it up, I warm up seedless raspberry jam to loosen it, swirl about 1 tablespoon into each bowl of vanilla sauce, and place the meringues on top. —Erin Jeanne McDowell
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Floating Islands
Ingredients
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Crème Anglaise:
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1/3 cup
heavy cream
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1/3 cup
whole milk
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1/2
vanilla bean, scraped
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1 pinch
kosher salt
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1 1/4 cups
granulated sugar, divided
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3
large egg yolks
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Meringues:
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3
large egg whites
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1/4 teaspoon
cream of tartar
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3 tablespoons
granulated sugar
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1 cup
whole milk
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Assembly:
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2 tablespoons
seedless raspberry jam
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1/4 cup
raspberries
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1/4 cup
toasted chopped pistachios
Directions
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Make the Crème Anglaise: In a small pot over medium heat, bring the cream, milk, vanilla bean, salt, and ¼ cup of the sugar to a simmer.
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In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining 1 cup of the sugar.
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Add about one-third of the milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to incorporate. Return the mixture to the pot, whisking well to combine. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until nicely cold.
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Make the Meringues: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat to stiff peaks.
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In a small pot, bring the milk to a simmer. Drop scoops of meringue (about 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons in size) into the hot milk and poach for 2 to 3 minutes, until fully cooked. Drain with a slotted spoon.
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Assemble: To serve, warm the jam to loosen it. Divide the crème anglaise between 2 bowls. Drizzle the jam over the sauce and swirl lightly to combine.
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Place the meringues on top of the sauce. Garnish with the raspberries and pistachios. Serve immediately.
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!
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