Baked Alaska (S1 Ep5 )

BAKED ALASKA

Makes 4

Ingredients

3 medium egg whites

90g/3¾oz caster sugar

90g/3¾oz icing sugar, sieved

1 large sponge flan case, cut in half widthways to about 5mm/¼in thick

4 tbs of raspberry liqueur. Chambord is my favourite. It’s the one in the orb shaped bottle.

8 tbs of raspberry jam

500ml/18 fl oz good quality vanilla ice cream

Preparation method

In advance take the ice cream from the freezer so it softens slightly and scoop out 4 good golf ball size helpings. Put these on a tray back in the freezer.
Pre-heat the oven on to 250C.
Whisk up the whites of the eggs in a very clean bowl adding the caster sugar as you do it. You want stiff white peaks.
Now add the icing sugar and mix it slowly to start then faster otherwise you will vanish in a cloud of dust. Again you want stiff peaks but also a shiny texture.
Cut the sponge into 4 rings with a 7.5cm/3in and place on a baking tray. Divide the liqueur evenly between them.
Spread the jam over the sponge then sit a ball of the ice on each one.
Transfer you meringue to a piping bag and pipe over the ice cream. Start by covering the top then spread down the sides with a palette knife. Then do a second layer more intricately any way you wish but a swirl is quite pretty. Make sure it is completely covered. If you wish you can freeze the whole thing at this point if you wish to do this in advance for a dinner party.
Now place the Alaskas in the oven or if you like you can blow torch them but you won’t get any crispy meringue just a nice colour. Remove from the oven once the meringue has got a touch of colour and has gone only hard a little probably about 5 minutes no more.
Remove and eat.