Mexican Floating Islands with Kahlua Custard and Green Pumpkin Seed Brittle
1980s · typewriter
Serves 6 servings · 45 min prep · 40 min cook
meringuekahluacaramelpumpkin-seedelegantentertainingmake-ahead
Ingredients
- 1.375 millilitre sugar, divided: 1 cup for caramel, ½ cup for meringue
- 2.6 egg whites, large
- 3.0.5 teaspoon salt
- 4.0.25 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 5.500 millilitre milk, for custard sauce
- 6.5 millilitre vanilla essence, for custard sauce
- 7.6 egg yolks, for custard sauce
- 8.0.25 cup sugar, for custard sauce
- 9.3 tablespoon Kahlua, or to taste; for custard sauce
- 10.250 millilitre sugar, for pumpkin seed brittle
- 11.3 tablespoon green pumpkin seeds, for pumpkin seed brittle
Method
- 1.CARAMEL RAMEKINS: Place 1 cup of the sugar in a heavy pan, stir until melted and golden caramel. Pour caramel into bottoms of 6 ramekin moulds. Rotate moulds so bottoms are covered.
- 2.MERINGUE: Heat oven to 160°C (325°F). Beat egg whites with salt till foamy, add cream of tartar. Whisk till whites just hold stiff peaks. Add the rest of the sugar, a little at a time. Spoon into the moulds and rap sharply on counter to get rid of airbubbles. Smooth the top.
- 3.Place moulds into a baking pan half filled with water. Bake on middle shelf for 25 minutes. Turn oven off and let meringue stand in oven for 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.
- 4.Turn out onto serving plates. Can be covered and kept in fridge for one day.
- 5.KAHLUA CUSTARD SAUCE: Bring milk and vanilla essence to boil and then remove from heat. Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until light and fluffy. Pour over the milk mixture, stirring all the time. Put back on heat. Cook without boiling until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and cool. Pour over Kahlua and cover. Place in fridge.
- 6.GREEN PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE: Place sugar in a pan and melt, stirring all the time, till a golden caramel colour. Remove and stir in pumpkin seeds. Working quickly, pour mixture onto a sheet of foil. Let set and then break into pieces. Keep in a sealed container.
- 7.TO SERVE: Float a little custard around each meringue. Sprinkle with the crushed brittle.
Notes
- The floating islands (meringues) are baked in caramel-lined ramekins in a bain-marie — they unmould to reveal a caramel base.
- The pumpkin seed brittle can be made days ahead and stored in a sealed container.
- Kahlua is a coffee liqueur — adjust quantity to taste.