Flowerpots Baked Alaska Food

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Make the ice cream cake: Brush a 3-quart metal bowl with vegetable oil; line with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl with scoops of the sorbet, vanilla ice cream and half of the chocolate ice cream, alternating small and large scoops to create a mosaic of colors and shapes. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream; press down to close the gaps between scoops and even out the surface. Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle the ice cream with the wafer crumbs and re-cover with the plastic wrap, pressing gently. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the wrap and spread the remaining chocolate ice cream in an even layer on top of the crumbs. Cut the pound cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices; completely cover the ice cream with the slices, trimming as needed (you'll use about two-thirds of the cake). Cover with fresh plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Make the meringue: Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.
• Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then invert the cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If necessary, let the cake stand overturned until it slips out.) Remove the rest of the plastic wrap and cover the ice cream completely with the meringue, making the dome-shaped top slightly thicker than the sides. Form swirly peaks in the meringue using the back of a spoon. Freeze for at least 3 more hours.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the cake until the meringue peaks are golden, about 4 minutes, or brown the meringue with a blowtorch. Let the cake soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze any leftovers.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• For the parfait: Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• Put the egg yolks, sugar, 1 tablespoon water, vanilla seeds, and vanilla extract in the top of a double boiler over medium heat. Mixing continuously, cook the ingredients until the temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Put the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on medium-high speed until it has doubled in volume and comes to room temperature. Separate the mixture into 2 bowls. In 1 bowl, mix in the coffee extract. Set aside. Fold half the heavy cream into the coffee mixture, and half into the vanilla mixture. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold half the egg whites into the coffee mixture, and half into the vanilla mixture.
• Lightly butter a 6-cup muffin tin; cut wax paper to fit in the bottom of each cup. Fill the cups halfway with the vanilla mixture. Tap the muffin tin lightly on the counter to make sure the cream mixture settles evenly. Fill the cups the remaining way with the coffee mixture. Place the tin in the freezer until firmly set.
• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put the cookie crumbs, almond flour, and egg yolks in a bowl. Mix by hand until homogenous. Place the mixture between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten with your hand, and then roll out with a rolling pin to 1/8-inch thick. Take the top sheet of plastic wrap off and flip on to the prepared baking sheet. Remove the bottom sheet of plastic wrap. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into circles with a cookie cutter a little larger that the top of your muffin cup. Set aside.
• When the cookies are cool and the parfait is frozen, invert the parfaits onto the cookie bases and place back in the freezer (make sure the parfaits are centered on the cookie).
• For the meringue: Put the eggs whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk over a saucepan of simmering water until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium-high speed until you have firm glossy peaks. Place in a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the parfaits from the freezer. Starting at the bottom of the cookie, working in circles, make meringue kisses until all of the parfait is covered. Put back in the freezer. When ready to serve, bake until golden brown. Drizzle with Rum Caramel Sauce and serve.
• Pour the cream into a 1-quart saucepan. Add the butter and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan, add the sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Swirl and let the sugar absorb the water. Heat over medium-high heat until it caramelizes (watching carefully) to a dark amber color. Turn off heat. Carefully pour the warm cream, a little at a time, being very careful to avoid any splattering caramel. Add salt, to taste. When all the cream has been added, mix well and pour into a container. Add rum, to taste.

FLOWERPOTS (BAKED ALASKA)

Steps:

• NOTE: Flower pots should be 2 1/2 in. high by 3 in. Diameter.
• Sterilize flower pots by boiling.
• Dry pots.
• Place a piece of plain yellow cake in the bottom of each pot to cover the hole in the bottom.
• Add ice cream or sherbet to pots until three-quarters full.
• In the
• middle
• of each pot, force a large ice cream soda straw and cut off even with top of the pot.
• Pile meringue around the inside of the pot, leaving s over the soda straw open.
• Bake at 400 degrees until the meringue turn brown, (about 5 minutes).
• Insert fresh flowers in the soda straw.
• For a holiday look, use holly and red roses or carnations.
• For the Meringue:
• Beat the egg whites until foamy before slowly adding the sugar, beat well after each addition.
• Beat until shiny and stiff, but not dry.
• Fold in vanilla.
• Each flowerpot requires about a third of a cup of meringue

FESTIVE BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Line a 900ml pudding basin or deep cereal bowl with a double layer of cling film. Scoop the caramel ice cream into the bowl, patting it down well. Top with the conserve, followed by the vanilla ice cream. Pat down firmly, cover with cling film and freeze for at least 2 hrs or, better still, overnight.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Whisk egg whites until stiff, then slowly whisk in the sugar until firm and glossy. Slice the cake and arrange on a baking parchmentlined baking sheet, to make a round the same size as the top of the ice-cream bowl. Press together well to make sure there aren't any gaps.
• Lift ice cream out of bowl, remove cling film and turn onto the cake. Spread the meringue evenly over the ice cream and cake, making sure there are no gaps. Bake for 4-5 mins until nicely coloured. Serve immediately.

INDIVIDUAL BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• To make the chocolate sauce: chop the chocolate to a rough consistency.
• Heat the cream just to a scald, then pour over the chocolate.
• Do not stir.
• Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then stir with a whisk until smooth.
• Makes about 1 cup.
• To make the raspberry sauce: Puree the raspberries in a blender with the remaining ingredients.
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
• Refrigerate until needed.
• Makes about 1 cup.
• To assemble the ice-cream bases: line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Using a 3" round cookie cutter (or a glass) cut 6 circles out of the cake, and place them on the parchment.
• Place a scoop of ice cream in the center of each piece of cake, making sure you leave a small margin of cake visible all the way around.
• Place in the freezer until the meringue is ready.
• To prepare the meringue: combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy, 1-quart saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring to a boil, then cook until the syrup reaches 230 degrees F.
• (thread stage) on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of your mixer, and fit the whip attachment to your mixer.
• When the syrup reaches the thread stage, start whipping your egg whites on high speed.
• When the syrup reaches 245-250 degrees F.
• (firm-ball stage), lower the speed of the mixer to low, and very, very, VERY slowly start pouring the syrup in, in a slow, steady, thin stream until it is all used up.
• Immediately return the mixer to high speed and continue whipping until the meringue reaches a very stiff peaked consistency.
• Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fit with a plain tip.
• Remove the ice cream bases from the freezer.
• Now you are going to create a meringue"beehive" around each scoop of ice cream.
• I find it easier to do this by removing one ice-cream scoop at a time to a cake turntable or a flat-work surface that I can spin around, like a small plate, pipe the meringue, then using a thin spatula, returning it carefully to the parchment.
• To pipe the meringue you need to start at the bottom edge of the cake, pipe a ring of meringue around the icecream so that it completely covers the cake edge.
• Then continue to pipe a line of meringue all around the scoop of ice cream, making sure you completely cover the ice cream, and that each line of meringue rests on top of the previous one.
• Finish with a small circle at the top.
• Repeat with remaining ice cream bases.
• Return them to the freezer until ready to serve.
• Just before service, decorate your plate: choose an oversize plate, like a dinner plate.
• Then using the sauces, paint or spoon or swirl them on to your hearts content.
• Any design you like.
• I like to just use squiggles, but anything goes at this point.
• Now- if you don't have a torch, you will need to turn your oven to broil.
• If you have a torch, get it ready.
• Remove the meringues from the freezer, and dust the top of each one with the confectioners sugar in a fine mesh strainer.
• If you are using a broiler, place the baking sheet under the broiler but leave the door open and watch.
• You will only need about 30-45 seconds, just enough time for the meringue to turn golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, place one in the center of each plate, and serve.
• If you are using a torch, turn your torch to a med-low setting, and carefully, gently use the torch to brown the outside of the meringues.
• Place one meringue on each plate, and serve.
• Notes: You can use any type of cake you want here- this recipe is more a method than anything.
• I've used chocolate chiffon as a base, I've used spongecake, poundcake, leftover slices of cupcakes!
• Anything, anyflavor, but it needs to be at least 1/4" thick.
• You can also use any flavor ice-cream- experiment, go wild.
• Sorbet is great this way- I've done mango sorbet, and lime sorbet- they taste terrific.
• Experiment, have fun, and don't be intimidated by this dessert.
• It's fun, and it's easy, and your friends and relatives will"oooohhhh!
• "and"ahhhhh!
• "you to death!