Snow on the Mountain (Gluten Free)

The South, as you might think, is a good source of cold desserts. When it's hot, diners want cold food, as does the cook. This is supposed to be molded in custard cups, which are little glass dishes much favored in the 50s. Bob suggested that we put it into wine glasses, which skips a step in the unmolding process, but doesn't necessarily give the effect of snowballs.
You can start this after lunch for an evening dinner party. I made an executive decision to make the sauce ahead of time and let it chill so we had cold sauce instead of warm sauce. If you don't have to reheat sauce at dessert time, it is one less thing to think about.

Snow on the Mountain

Base:
5 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup grated coconut

Sauce:
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sweet sherry
2 tablespoons light rum

1. To make base, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar and salt.
2. Soak the gelatin in the water and heat over hot water to dissolve. Fold the gelatin into the beaten egg whites.
3. Whip the cream until stiff and add the vanilla. Fold the cream into the egg white mixture. Spoon the mixture into lightly oiled custard cups and chill. When ready to serve, unmold onto individual plates or arrange the "balls" in a crystal serving bowl. Sprinkle with the coconut and serve with sauce.
4. To make sauce, beat the egg yolks until they are slightly thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the sugar. Add the sherry and cook over low heat until thickened and smooth. Do not let the mixture boil.  Stir in the rum and reheat without boiling.
Makes six servings.