Christmas dinner dessert
I'm sitting here at my computer brooding about what to have for Christmas dinner dessert. The menu is set; but my usual dessert, ginger pudding with Susan sauce and whipped cream, seems too heavy this year. For some reason the French dessert oeufs a la neige appeals.
If you ever ate at Jeannier's in the Broadview before it closed, you'll know what I mean. It was a specialty of Roland Jeannier and a favorite of mine.
It's light, it's festive if you top it with spun caramel as shown in the photo, and the name, which translated means "eggs in the snow," seems appropriate.
I'm running into a couple of problems, though. ...
First, the Web is fairly useless for finding a good recipe, as I've discovered in the past. Even this beautiful photo, which is from LaTartineGourmand is of the French dessert ile flottante. It's slightly different (heavier on the meringue, lighter on custard), but it was the only picture I could find that shows the spun caramel. I'm sure if I kept hunting, I could come up with one that wasn't written in litres and castor sugar; but I have other things to do.
My wonderful collection of cookbooks, which I both inherited and bought or was given in the years I was food editor at The Sun, isn't of much help here. My best bet is going to be the Gourmet magazine basic French cookbook; but as anyone knows who has used cookbooks written before, say, the mid-70s, the recipes are incredibly sketchy. I'm afraid disaster looms, especially as I've never made spun caramel before.
Excuse me. I have to go look for my cut glass dessert bowl now, stored away because I've never used it since receiving it as a wedding present.
Comments
Perhaps if his in town, Monsieur Jeannier would share his wonderful recipe. After the almond tulips it was my desert of choice.
(For what little help it might be, I've seen the sugar dome made on one of the PBS cooking shows. Caramelize the sugar and them drizzle/flick it over an inverted lightly greased bowl to cool.)
Posted by: Robert | December 23, 2007 3:35 PM
Elizabeth: I have a recipe from Craig Claiborne (specific) and also one from the first American edition of Larousse Gastrnomique (sketchy).
I'm beginning to think chocolate mousse...
Posted by: mdlrvrmuncher | December 23, 2007 3:42 PM
I'm not sure if you saw it, but La Tartine Gourmand just had a recent post on les oeufs a la neige, making little baby ones flavored with cardamom that look delicious.
http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2007/12/12/vanilla-cardamom-snow-eggs/
I'm making a different dessert from her site for a Christmas dinner tonight :)
Thanks, I'll take a look
Posted by: Cara | December 23, 2007 4:15 PM
The English version of Larousse Gastronomique translates oeufs a la neige as "floating islands". It says they're usually served sprinkled with pale caramel or crushed praline.
Send me email if you want the recipe (I suspect you already have this book, though).
I do, thanks!
Posted by: Hal Laurent | December 23, 2007 4:19 PM
It's never wrong to serve chocolate mousse.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | December 23, 2007 4:58 PM
Can I come for dinner at your house?
Posted by: fairfax | December 23, 2007 8:15 PM
I vote for the chocolate mousse and lots of wine. You are working too hard on this dinner. Let them eat cake!
Posted by: regina | December 23, 2007 8:32 PM
We're having our traditional gingerbread cake with brandied whipped cream. Plain whipped cream for those who are no fun whatsoever.
Jingle all the way!
Posted by: Darlene | December 23, 2007 10:35 PM
Ironically the holiday parties I remember most are the ones where something went awry. The ones when everything went perfect or the ones that every dish that everyone expected to be on the table was, well those just fade into the memory. Enjoy tthe moment. If the store didn't have the sage you needed for a gravy or a persimmon for the centerpiece,come December 26th you'll be the only one to remember. Merry Christmas.
Posted by: mdlrvrmuncher | December 24, 2007 7:15 AM