Île Flottante (French Floating Meringues With Crème Anglaise)

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325ºF (160ºC). Line a 2-quart baking dish (see note) with parchment overhanging two sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin whipping egg whites at low speed until whites start to look wet and frothy, about 1 minute. With the mixer still running, add cream of tartar and salt and mix for 10 seconds. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Keeping the mixer at low speed, slowly add 1/4 of the sugar in a steady stream, then increase speed to medium and slowly add the remaining sugar. Continue mixing at medium speed until meringue is thick and glossy and holds firm peaks when you lift the whisk out of it, about 10 minutes. (While one could speed the mixer up for a faster meringue, the meringue is more stable when mixed for a longer time at slower speeds, making it less likely to deflate; the exact mixing time will depend on your mixer and other variables, so keep mixing to reach firm peaks even if longer than the estimated 10 minutes.) Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Using a silicone spatula, scrape meringue into the prepared baking dish. Using an offset spatula, spread meringue into an even layer. Bake until the meringue is still glossy, slightly firm, and bounces back when touched on one of its corners (to avoid leaving a fingerprint, wet your fingertip before lightly pressing the meringue), about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Place the baking dish on a cooling rack and allow to cool, about 1 hour. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez When cool, lift meringue out of the baking dish and place on a work surface. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Using a knife dipped in hot water, and re-dipping between cuts, portion the meringue into 2-inch squares. Using a small offset spatula, transfer each square to the prepared baking sheet. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez To serve, spoon 1/2 cup crème anglaise into each of 6 shallow bowls. Place a meringue square into each bowl and garnish with toppings, if desired. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez