Baked Alaska

BAKED ALASKA

We're baaack!

For several reasons, it was a "no-brainer" when Julie suggested we attempt a Baked Alaska.  What is Baked Alaska?  I had to look it up myself.  Thank you Wikkipedia.


Baked Alaska: a dessert made of ice cream placed in a pie dish lined with slices of sponge cake and topped with meringue. The entire dessert is then placed in an extremely hot oven for just long enough to firm the meringue. The meringue is an effective insulator, and the short cooking time prevents the heat from getting through to the ice cream.


We had to create a few shortcuts and found a perfect recipe to allow us to do this is one sitting.  In our shortcut recipe you can make individual Baked Alaskas which is easily done using flat cookies.  This allows you to make and bake however many you need.


Julie just so happened to have her WONDERFUL chocolate chip cookies at her house.  (However, there is a recipe associated with the recipe above that looks absolutely wonderful.)  

Savannah watched on as usual. (The more things change, the more they stay the same!)

We scooped coffee ice cream onto the cookies and placed them in the freezer for 30 minutes to solidify.

We have another guest appearance.  Actually, it is less of a guest appearance and more of an addition.  For the first time...presenting HENRY!

Henry's Dad has recently graduated from law school and is the proud owner of an iPad which makes our recipe referral much easier.

For the meringue you will need plenty of eggs.  It called for 4 egg whites.  It made PLENTY of meringue for 4 cookies.  

Beat until stiff, gradually adding 1/2 cup of sugar. (They will become shiny...)

Put meringue into a piping bag with a wide tip of your choice and pipe around the frozen ice cream.  You need to eliminate any holes or you will find yourself with an ice cream volcano.  

We piped it around the bottom as well to keep the ice cream sealed in the meringue.

Place in the freezer again for at least 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Somebody seems excited!

Bake for 5 minutes...which we found to be the perfect time.

Serve and enjoy immediately.  It really was wonderful...and a fun, easy project.  Like Julie pointed out, it could be great to create with kids.  Henry might have been a little young to enjoy it.  One day...

Hope everyone has a good Memorial Day!
 (Ironically this day last year I was at the beach with Henry's parents....little did we know what the year would bring...)


Last but not least:
THANK YOU to our soldiers who continue to put their lives on the line for our country and for those who have lost their lives in doing so.