Oeufs à la neige

 

Oeufs à la neige, eggs in snow, floating islands, floating dumpling, swans in lake …whatever you may call it the fact remains this is one of the best desserts out there. I hadn’t done it in so long that I had had almost forgotten to do it.

This is the payment I had to give my daughter for helping me organize her art room, which somehow ended up being a store/junk room. It was beginning to look like a hoarders paradise.

 

 

Everything in place and at hands reach. Labelled and organized for easy find. As it turns out, my son is now using the art room to exercise; sharing it with my daughter.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

6 eggs separated

eggs must be at room temperature

7 tbls white sugar

a pinch of salt

handheld blender

 

Custard

7 egg yolks beaten

7 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 

Caramel

2 tbls of sugar boiled in 1 tbls of water.

Keep stirring and stop when the mixture gets sticky and gooey.

The age old test for doneness still stands to this day. When dropped into cold water the caramel should drop to the bottom.

 

 

Method:

 

Make the meringue.

Throw in a pinch of salt into the egg whites. Start beating at a lower speed. Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Gradually increase the speed to form white stiff peaks. The bowl with the meringue should be stiff like in the picture below.

 

When my kids were younger I made a lot of these and one of their favorite moments were to have the bowl turned upside down above their heads. Any kid would have lots of fun giggling over a bowl with stiff meringue over their head.

 

 

 

Cook the meringue

Simmer the milk in a pot. Do not let it boil.

Use two spoons to make an oblong shape of the meringue and drop it in the milk.

Turn it after two minutes being careful not to break the egg white.

Gently pick the meringue in a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels.

 

The custard

After about twenty meringues are made keep the milk. Strain the milk to rid of the egg whites and add more milk if needed.

Add a few drop of vanilla essence or a tablespoon of vanilla sugar.

Beat the egg yolks with a whisk and gradually pour it into the simmering milk.

Do not let the milk boil.

Add the sugar and keep stirring until the mixture thickens and remove immediately from the heat. Do not let the custard curdle.

 

 

Garnished with chocolate syrup, soft caramel and maraschino  cherries.

Assembly according to picture and your kids will love you forever.