Individual Baked Alaskas Food

EASY INDIVIDUAL BAKED ALASKAS

Steps:

• Using a cookie cutter or knife, trim 4 slices of pound cake to snugly fit bottoms of four 6-ounce ovenproof custard cups. Divide softened ice cream among lined cups.
• In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites with pinch of salt to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff and glossy; mound over ice cream. Freeze 1 hour or up to 1 week.
• To serve, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer cups to a baking sheet; let sit 10 minutes. Bake until lightly browned (watch carefully), 2 to 4 minutes.

INDIVIDUAL BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Slice the pound cake loaf into 1/2-inch slices. With a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut pound cake into 6 individual portions and place on a cookie sheet.
• Place a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each round cake. Freeze cake and ice cream until very hard, at least 1 hour.
• While the ice cream freezes, make your meringue:
• Preheat the oven to broil and place a rack 8 inches from the top of the oven.
• In an electric mixer with the whip attachment, on medium speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Continue to beat and add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip until meringue has reached stiff peaks. Place meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Quickly pipe the meringue evenly over the ice cream, covering completely.
• Place in the broiler and broil just until tops are browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the inside of 2 loaf pans (9 by 5 by 3-inch) with melted butter. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and brush again with butter. Reserve.
• Using a mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the butter and vanilla extract until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the eggs, 1 at a time, making sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. Lower the speed to stir and add the flour and salt. Mix until well blended. Pour half of the batter into each prepared loaf pan.
• Bake the cakes for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Then, remove cakes from the pan and allow to cool further on the rack. Serve slightly warm or use as needed.

RASPBERRY BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Slice the cake into six 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut six (2 1/2-inch) circles--one from each slice--with an unfluted round cookie cutter, discarding the scraps. (You can also use a small knife.) Place the cake rounds 2 inches apart on a flat dish that will fit in your freezer.
• Soften the sorbet and ice cream just enough to be able to scoop them with a standard 2 1/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop (15 to 30 seconds in the microwave works). Fill half the scoop with raspberry sorbet and the rest of the scoop with vanilla ice cream and place an ice cream ball, flat side down, in the middle of each cake round. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, until the ice cream is very hard.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• To make the Swiss meringue, place the egg whites and sugar in a heat-proof glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture almost constantly, until it reaches 120 degrees F on a candy thermometer and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt and beat on medium speed for one minute, then on high speed for 5 minutes, until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer the cake rounds and ice cream to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Working quickly, spread the meringue with a spoon or small spatula, making lots of peaks all over with the back of the spoon. (You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip and pipe the meringue thickly around each ball of ice cream and cake.) Be sure all of the ice cream is covered with meringue. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, until the edges of the meringues are browned, turning the pan once to brown evenly. Transfer to dessert plates, drizzle Fresh Raspberry Sauce around each baked Alaska, and serve immediately.
• Place the raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and the framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Pour into a container and chill. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to one week.

INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BAKED ALASKAS

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, then line bottom with wax paper and butter paper.
• Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring, until smooth. Remove bowl from pan and whisk 3/4 cup sugar into chocolate mixture. Whisk in whole eggs and salt, then sift cocoa over and whisk until just combined.
• Pour batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.
• Cut cake into 6 equal pieces, then arrange 1 piece in each gratin dish, trimming to fit. Top each piece of cake with a large scoop of ice cream (about 1/2 cup), then freeze, covered, just until ice cream is hard, about 25 minutes (do not let ice cream become rock hard unless making ahead - see cooks' note, below).
• Make meringue just before serving:
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed, and continue beating until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 5 minutes in a standing mixer or about 12 minutes with a handheld.
• Remove gratin dishes from freezer and mound meringue over ice cream and cake, spreading to edge of gratin dish. Bake on a baking sheet in middle of oven until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

INDIVIDUAL BAKED ALASKAS

Steps:

• For sauce: Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend; bring milk just to simmer in medium saucepan; gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture; return mixture to same saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until sauce thickens and coats back of spoon, about 7 minutes (do not boil); pour into bowl; stir in vanilla; place plastic wrap directly onto surface of custard and cool; cover and refrigerate until cold.
• For Baked Alaskas: Preheat oven to 350°F; butter and flour 10 ½ x 15 ½ x 1-inch jelly roll pan; sift first 5 ingredients into large bowl; repeat sifting; combine water and espresso powder in large bowl and stir to dissolve; add buttermilk, oil and eggs and whisk to combine; add to dry ingredients and whisk until blended; pour batter into prepared pan; bake until tester inserted into middle of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes; transfer to rack and cool completely (Sauce and cake can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover cake and refrigerate).
• Using 4-inch-diameter round as guide, cut out 1 cake round; slide metal spatual under cake round and transfer to baking sheet; repeat, forming 5 more cake rounds; reserve remaining cake for another use; place rounded scoop of ice cream on top of each cake round; freeze, uncovered, for up to 8 hours.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form; gradually add 1 ½ cups sugar and beat mixture until stiff and glossy.
• Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip; pipe meringue in star shapes on top of ice cream, covering ice cream completely, but leaving cake visible underneath (ice cream should be completely encased in meringue, with a seal where ice cream meets cake); freeze until ready to bake (Can be prepared 1 day ahead).
• Preheat oven to 500°F; bake desserts until meringue is light brown, about 2 minutes; using spatula, transfer each Baked Alaska to individual plates; spoon sauce onto plates and serve immediately.

MINI BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Prepare the brownie according to the package directions. Allow to cool completely; do not cut the brownie into pieces. Place the cooled slab of brownie on a flat surface. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 18 brownie circles; reserve the brownie trimmings for another use. Transfer the brownie circles to a serving platter.
• Put the marshmallow creme into a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with one corner snipped.
• Working quickly, scoop vanilla ice cream onto each brownie circle. Quickly pipe marshmallow creme in a swirl shape around the brownie and ice cream so that they are completely covered. Use a kitchen torch to carefully heat the marshmallow domes until just browned. Serve immediately or store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

MINI BAKED ALASKAS WITH BOOZY CHERRY CENTRES

Steps:

• Line 4 individual pudding moulds with cling film - brushing with oil first will help. Divide the ice cream between them, shaping so an even thickness covers the base and sides with a hollow in the middle. Mix the jam with 2 tsp of the kirsch, spoon into the ice-cream hollows, cover and freeze overnight.
• For the base, heat oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a 20cm square cake tin. Reserve 2 tbsp of the almonds, then whizz the rest in a food processor until finely chopped and tip into a bowl with the flour, butter, beaten whole eggs and 100g caster sugar. Beat until smooth, then spread into the tin and bake for 15-18 mins until golden and springy. Cool on a wire rack. This cake will sit quite happily in a tin for 24 hrs, but stamp out the bases on the day or the edges will dry overnight.
• For the meringue, whisk the egg whites until stiff, then add the remaining sugar and continue whisking until the meringue is thick and glossy. Can be chilled for up to 5 hrs. With a 7cm round cutter or rim of a pudding mould, cut 4 bases from the almond sponge. Drizzle with the rest of the kirsch, then sit them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
• When you're ready to serve, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Turn 1 ice cream out onto each round of cake, peeling off the cling film, then spread over meringue using a knife or small spatula until completely covered. Scatter with remaining almonds and bake for 3 mins until the tips of the meringues are just browning. Lift onto serving plates with a fish slice and 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!

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 20cm cake tin. Beat together the butter and sugar using a hand whisk or freestanding mixer, for 5 mins until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, then fold through the flour, lemon zest and milk. Spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth over and bake for 18-20 mins until golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool completely before starting the meringue.
• Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks in a clean bowl, then add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time while whisking continuously, until you have a thick, glossy mixture that holds its shape when the beaters are lifted away from the bowl. Quickly beat in the vinegar.
• Remove the ice cream from the freezer 10 mins before you assemble to soften slightly. Place the sponge on a serving plate. Spread the jam over the top of the sponge in an even layer. Scoop balls of the ice cream into a mound in the middle of the sponge, leaving a 1-2cm gap of sponge around the edge. Gently smooth the side and top of the ice cream with a palette knife. Spoon and swirl the meringue around the outside of the ice cream and cake base with a large spoon. Use a blow torch to evenly brown the outside of the meringue, if you have one. Cut into wedges to serve.