Individual baked alaskas - bon appetit

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
5 larges Egg yolks
2½ tablespoon Sugar
1⅔ cup Milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
1½ cup Firmly packed dark brown sugar
1¼ cup All purpose flour
½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoon Baking soda
¾ teaspoon Baking powder
¾ cup Water
4 teaspoons Instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
¾ cup Buttermilk
6 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 larges Eggs
1½ pint (about) coffee ice cream
6 larges Egg whites
1½ cup Sugar

Directions

CUSTARD SAUCE

BAKED ALASKAS

FOR SAUCE: Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend. Bring milk just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until sauce thickens and coats back of spoon, about 7 minutes (do not boil) Pour into bowl. Stir in vanilla. Cool, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

FOR BAKED ALASKAS: Preheat oven to 350'F. Butter and flour 10½ x 15 ½ x 1 inch jelly roll pan. Sift first 5 ingredients into large bowl. Repeat sifting. Combine water and espresso powder in large bowl; stir to dissolve. Add buttermilk, oil and eggs; whisk to combine. Add to dry ingredients and whisk until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack and coot completely. (Sauce and cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover cake and refrigerate.) Using 4-inch-diameter tart pan bottom as a guide, cut out 1 cake round. Slide metal spatula under cake round and transfer cake round to baking sheet. Repeat, forming 5 more cake rounds. Reserve remaining cake for another use. Place large rounded scoop of ice cream on top of each cake round. Freeze uncovered up to 8 hours.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 ½ C sugar and beat mixture until stiff and glossy. Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip.

Pipe meringue in star shapes atop ice cream, coverincy ice cream completely but leaving cake visible. Freeze until ready to bake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Preheat oven to 500'F. Bake desserts until meringue is light brown, about 2 minutes. Using spatula, transfer each baked Alaska to plate.

Spoon sauce onto plates and serve immediately.

Source: EMILY LUCHETTI, STARS, SAN FRANCISCO Bon Appetit/Sept/94 Scanned & edited by Di Pahl & <gg>

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