Misc Desserts

Baked Alaska - Individual Size

  • 1 cup Cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 cups Brown sugar, light (packed)
  • 3/4 cup Butter, unsalted
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 6 ounces Unsweetened chocolate pieces
  • 3 large Eggs - at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • As needed Cocoa powder
  • 1 cup Cocoa powder, unsweetened Dutch
  • 1/2 ounce Bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/3 cup Butter, unsalted, at room temp
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Sugar (Bakers, if possible)
  • 1 cup Water, lukewarm
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon Corn syrup, light
  • 1/2 cup Vinegar, distilled (to rinse utensils)
  • 6 large Egg whites
  • 1 cup Sugar (Bakers, if possible)
  • 1/2 cup Brown sugar, light (packed)
  • ~ Vanilla Ice Cream
  • ~ PASTRY BAG

    • PREPARE AHEAD-CAKE: Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter jelly roll (15-1" x 10" x 1") pan. Line with parchment and butter and sift orknock cocoa on pan to cover. Sift Cake Flour, Baking Soda and Salt in large bowl.

    In large saucepan combine Brown Sugar, Water and Butter. Cook, covering and stirring until smooth, continue cooling until boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let sit 30 seconds and whisk to mix in chocolate. Transfer to large bowl and LET SIT UNTIL TEPID !! (If you don't let it sit, the hot chocolate will make a DRY CAKE !!) Using a wire whisk, add eggs to chocolate, one at a time. Stir in Vanilla. Using rubber spatula, foldin flour until combined. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth to even height across pan. bake for about 15-20 minutes until it springs back in center, and pullsaway from side of pan. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack and turn out, peeling off parchment. May be frozen 1 month, or cut into shapes (approx 4" circles) and freeze for 8 hours.

    CHOCOLATE SAUCE: Place sifted Cocoa Powder and Chocolate in medium bowl. In medium saucepan, combine Butter, Sugar, Heavy Cream, Water and LightCorn Syrup, bringing to boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the Chocolate. Let sit 3-4 minutes. Using wire whisk, stir smooth. Strain through fine sieve (if desired) into medium bowl. Keep covered on counter to serve. Store remaining sauce in covered jar in refrigerator.

    MERINGUE: HINT: Untensils MUST BE GREASE FREE - rinse all with a little plain vinegar.

    Prepare 4" Cake with scoop of Ice Cream &KEEP FROZEN.

    In 4-1 quart bowl of a heavy-duty mixer with wire ship attached, beat the whites until soft peaks form. GRADUALLY add Bakers & Brown Sugar beatingon high until stiff peaks form and mixture is glossy. Spoon into Pastry Bag with medium star tip (Ateco #6). Pipe in overlapping shells over the Ice Cream, covering it completely, but leaving cake visible. (Meringue insulates Ice Cream from heat, so be sure NO ICE CREAM IS VISIBLE). Freeze until ready to bake (I've done this up to 3 days ahead of time).

    DRIZZLE CHOCOLATE SAUCE ON PLATES AND CHILLFREEZER.

    TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 500°.Bake the desserts on a cookie sheet until Meringue is light brown, about 2 minutes.

    Transfer Alaskas to prepared plates& drizzle again with sauce. Serve immediately!!

    This recipe courtesy of the From My Kitchen Cookbook. 

    Contributed by Dave Guess of Lake Delton, WI. 

    Visit http://www.frommykitchen.net and get your copy of From My Kitchen: Internet-ready recipe software.  Your kitchen will never be the same!