Who’d have thought that you could put ice cream in the oven and not melt it? Well, with this wicked pud you do just that. Buy a sponge flan case and a tub of ice cream, then top it with home-made meringue. The ice cream will still be cold by the time the meringue cooks. Magic!
Ingredients
- 85g sponge flan case
- 2 tbsp apple juice
- 4 tbsp cherry, raspberry or strawberry jam
- 500ml tall tub vanilla ice cream
- 3 medium egg whites
- 125g golden caster sugar
Method
- 1. Put the sponge flan case onto an ovenproof plate. Drizzle with the apple juice, then spoon on the jam and spread it evenly. Run a blunt knife around the sides of the ice cream to help loosen it from the tub. Upturn the ice cream on top of the jammy sponge. Put it carefully on a flat surface in the freezer.
- 2. Get out an electric whisk or a mixer with a whisk and a large bowl – or use the one that comes with the mixer if there is one. Check that the bowl is very clean and totally dry. Add the egg whites to the bowl, making sure absolutely no yolk gets in there (the meringue won’t work if there is, so remove any with a teaspoon).
- 3. Whisk the egg whites until they turn white and thick. Lift up the bowl and tip it slightly from side to side: if the egg whites look slightly peaky and slide around they need to be whisked a little more; if they sit in stiff peaks and don’t move, they are ready. Turn the mixer on again and gradually add the sugar, just 1 tablespoon at a time until the meringue is smooth, glossy and stiffly peaking.
- 4. Get the prepared base out of the freezer. Spread the meringue over the ice cream with a palette knife, making sure it’s covered and the meringue seals the sponge case edge. Return to the freezer for at least 1 hour (although it will happily sit there for up to a day).
- 5. To serve, preheat the oven to 220°C/ fan200°C/gas 7. Pop the Alaska straight from the freezer into the oven for 3-4 minutes until the meringue is just starting to be tinged brown. Serve immediately.
Chef's tip
Children - make sure you keep your hand well away from the fast-moving whisk.