If you can whip an egg white, you can make these classy little desserts.
These are ice cream desserts that you stick in the oven. There are three parts: the meringue on top, the ice cream in the center, and cookie pieces on the bottom.
The meringue on top, insulates the ice cream and keeps it from melting. The graham cracker pieces or chocolate cookie pieces—yes you can use Oreos—insulates the bottom of the cup.
A baked Alaska is quick and scrumptious. It’s only in the oven for a few minutes, just long enough to cook the meringue.
How to Make Baked Alaska
Ingredients:
- graham crackers or chocolate cookies broken into chunks
- ice cream
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475º F.
- Cover the bottoms of four oven proof cups or ramekins with cookie chunks to a depth of about 3/4 inch.
- Fill each cup with the ice cream of your choice. Use an ice cream spade to press the ice cream tight into the cup.
- Place the cups of ice cream in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to get it rock hard.
- Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Drizzle in the sugar as you continue to beat. Add the vanilla.
- Beat until stiff peaks form. The peaks should be stiff but not shiny. Do not over-beat.
- Pile the meringue on top of the frozen ice cream. Completely cover the ice cream so that the ice cream is insulated from the heat. Repeat with the other three cups.
- Place the cups on a large baking sheet. The baking sheet will help deflect heat from the bottoms of the cups. You can also wrap the cups with a dishcloth to further insulate the cups, though we usually don’t.
- Bake for 2 to 4 minutes or until the meringue has a nice golden hue–not long enough to heat the cold cup but enough time to brown the meringue.
Serve immediately.
Baker’s Note: If you do not have oven proof cups or ramekins or are simply concerned about your cups going from a cold freezer to the hot oven, you can also brown the meringue with a blow torch. We have made these dozens of times without any ruined cups.
