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Baked Alaska
YIELD Serves 12
Baked Alaska has always seemed a bit intimidating. But the folks over at Millennium Alaskan Hotel Anchorage have shown us that you don't need to head to a restaurant to enjoy this highly impressive dessert. By making it at home this holiday season you can control the ingredients that you use, choosing organic and locally produced foods whenever possible. Specifically, consider choosing local and sustainably produced butter and eggs and choose organic flour, ice cream, and sorbet.
By separating this recipe into three parts it becomes a little less scary. First, make the cake portion of the show, then the ice cream and sorbet filling, and finally, the meringue, which serves to crown your stunning sweet achievement.
Courtesy of the Flying Machine Restaurant at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel Anchorage
INGREDIENTS
| Cake | |
| Nonstick vegetable oil spray | |
| 4 large | local eggs |
| 1/2 cup | sugar |
| 1 1/2 tsp | vanilla extract |
| 3/4 cup | sifted organic cake flou |
| 1 tbsp | poppy seeds |
| 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) | unsalted butter, melted, cooled |
| Filling | |
| 2 quarts | organic ice cream, softened |
| 1 quart | organic sorbet, softened |
| Meringue | |
| 6 large | local egg whites |
| 3/4 cup | sugar |
| 1/2 tsp | vanilla extract |
PREPARATION:
For Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray.
- Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water); whisk constantly just until mixture is warm, about 2 minutes.
- Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until very thick and ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 7 minutes. Add flour in 3 additions, gently folding just to combine after each.
- Fold in poppy seeds, then quickly fold in butter in 2 additions (do not overfold). Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Remove pan sides.
For Filling:
- Line 4-quart 10-inch-diameter bowl with plastic wrap, leaving 8-inch overhang. Spread sorbet in even layer over bottom (not sides) of bowl. Spread ice cream over sorbet.
- Place cake atop ice cream, pressing slightly to compact. Cover with plastic wrap overhang; freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
For Meringue:
- Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tbsp at a time; beat until thick and glossy. Beat in vanilla.
- Unfold plastic wrap from over cake at top of bowl. Invert dessert onto 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom; remove plastic wrap. Working quickly, spread meringue over dessert, swirling to form peaks and covering completely.
- Freeze at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep frozen.)
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place dessert on its tart pan bottom on heavy large baking sheet. Bake just until meringue is light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve immediately.
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