**Swiss Meringue: The Key to a Perfect Baked Alaska**
Baked Alaska is a classic dessert that combines a creamy ice cream center with a crisp meringue shell. It's a stunning and delicious dessert that is perfect for any special occasion. The key to a perfect Baked Alaska is the Swiss meringue. Swiss meringue is a type of meringue that is made by heating egg whites and sugar together in a double boiler until the sugar is dissolved. This process creates a smooth, glossy meringue that is stable and not too sweet. In this article, we'll share our recipe for Swiss meringue, as well as a recipe for a classic Baked Alaska. We'll also provide tips for making the perfect meringue and Baked Alaska. So if you're ready to impress your friends and family with this stunning dessert, read on!
**Recipes Included:**
* Swiss Meringue Recipe
* Classic Baked Alaska Recipe
* Chocolate Baked Alaska Recipe
* Raspberry Swirl Baked Alaska Recipe
* Toasted Coconut Baked Alaska Recipe
**Tips for Making the Perfect Swiss Meringue:**
* Use fresh egg whites. Older egg whites will not whip up as well.
* Make sure the bowl and beaters are completely clean and free of any grease.
* Heat the egg whites and sugar slowly, stirring constantly. This will help prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
*Whip the meringue until it is stiff and glossy. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
*Use the meringue immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
**Tips for Making the Perfect Baked Alaska:**
* Use a high-quality ice cream. The better the ice cream, the better the Baked Alaska will be.
* Freeze the ice cream for at least 4 hours before assembling the Baked Alaska. This will help prevent the ice cream from melting too quickly.
* Apply the meringue to the ice cream evenly. This will help ensure that the meringue cooks evenly.
* Bake the Baked Alaska until the meringue is golden brown. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
* Serve the Baked Alaska immediately.
RASPBERRY BAKED ALASKA
Steps:
- Slice the cake into six 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut six (2 1/2-inch) circles--one from each slice--with an unfluted round cookie cutter, discarding the scraps. (You can also use a small knife.) Place the cake rounds 2 inches apart on a flat dish that will fit in your freezer.
- Soften the sorbet and ice cream just enough to be able to scoop them with a standard 2 1/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop (15 to 30 seconds in the microwave works). Fill half the scoop with raspberry sorbet and the rest of the scoop with vanilla ice cream and place an ice cream ball, flat side down, in the middle of each cake round. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, until the ice cream is very hard.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- To make the Swiss meringue, place the egg whites and sugar in a heat-proof glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture almost constantly, until it reaches 120 degrees F on a candy thermometer and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt and beat on medium speed for one minute, then on high speed for 5 minutes, until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks.
- Transfer the cake rounds and ice cream to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Working quickly, spread the meringue with a spoon or small spatula, making lots of peaks all over with the back of the spoon. (You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip and pipe the meringue thickly around each ball of ice cream and cake.) Be sure all of the ice cream is covered with meringue. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, until the edges of the meringues are browned, turning the pan once to brown evenly. Transfer to dessert plates, drizzle Fresh Raspberry Sauce around each baked Alaska, and serve immediately.
- Place the raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and the framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Pour into a container and chill. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to one week.
FOOLPROOF SWISS MERINGUE
This is a super stable, delicious, easy-to-make Swiss meringue that's perfect as a base for Swiss meringue buttercream or as a topping for any pie you want to make! Because it's whipped over a bain-marie, it doesn't need to be baked - which makes it especially great for my favorite lemon icebox pie (I suggest trying that if you're into lemon meringue pie!). Precision is important, otherwise it's as foolproof as the title says. Hope you love it as much as I do.
Provided by Zaya
Categories Desserts Frostings and Icings
Time 20m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Bring 2 cups of water to a simmer in a medium pot.
- Combine sugar, egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Reduce the heat of the pot and place the bowl over the steam. Whisk egg whites lightly until a digital or candy thermometer inserted into the mixture reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
- Place bowl back onto the stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until egg whites are cool and stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Mixture should hold peaks effortlessly and start balling up around the whisk attachment while appearing silky, shiny, and pure white.
- Use meringue immediately. It will hold its shape without separating for about a week in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 157.4 calories, Carbohydrate 37.7 g, Protein 2.7 g, Sodium 101.6 mg, Sugar 37.6 g
SWISS MERINGUE
This meringue works well for piping shapes and baking them until crisp. It can be rewhipped if necessary.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes 4 cups
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Fill medium saucepan one quarter full with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat, and bring water to a simmer.
- Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of electric mixer, and place over saucepan. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Test by rubbing between your fingers.
- Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use meringue immediately.
SWISS MERINGUE FOR TRADITIONAL BAKED ALASKA
This meringue works well for piping shapes and baking them until crisp. It can be rewhipped if necessary. Use it in our Traditional Baked Alaska recipe.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes 8 cups
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Fill medium saucepan one quarter full with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring water to a simmer.
- Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of electric mixer and place over saucepan. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Test by rubbing between your fingers.
- Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use meringue immediately.
TRADITIONAL BAKED ALASKA
Moist cake is topped with three layers of ice cream and fluffy meringue in this old-fashioned dessert.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.
- Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and the egg yolks in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whisk, on medium speed, until pale yellow and thick, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla, and fold in melted chocolate just to combine.
- Combine egg white and a pinch of salt in bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whip, on medium speed, until frothy. Add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; beat until stiff. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
- Carefully pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake until cake is set and top is dull, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- Spray a 12-cup bowl with a 9-inch diameter with cooking spray; line with plastic wrap. Pack base of bowl and up the sides with chocolate ice cream; cover with plastic and press with your hands to make an even, smooth layer. Transfer to freezer and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
- Remove plastic wrap and form a layer of vanilla ice cream on top of the chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and press with your hands to make an even, smooth layer. Transfer to freezer and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
- Remove plastic wrap and form a layer of coffee ice cream on top of vanilla, leaving a small well in the center of the coffee layer; add sprinkles to well and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer to freezer and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Place cake on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Remove ice cream from freezer and remove plastic wrap; invert bowl over cake. Keep ice cream covered with plastic wrap, and return ice cream cake to freezer.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees (if not using a kitchen torch). Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a large star tip (such as Ateco No. 827), with meringue; pipe onto ice cream in a decorative fashion, or spoon meringue over ice cream and swirl with a rubber spatula. If ice cream starts to soften, return cake to freezer for 15 minutes.
- Using a kitchen torch, heat meringue until it just starts to brown. Alternatively, place in oven and bake until meringue just starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a serving platter, and serve immediately.
BAKED ALASKA
Cake and ice cream dessert topped with meringue -- vary ice cream flavors for your signature dish. I like cherry-burgundy ice cream!
Provided by shirleyo
Categories Desserts Frozen Dessert Recipes Ice Cream Cake Recipes
Time 11h
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
- Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 330 calories, Carbohydrate 53.1 g, Cholesterol 40.7 mg, Fat 11.1 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 6 g, SaturatedFat 5.1 g, Sodium 315.1 mg, Sugar 44 g
Tips:
- To ensure the meringue is cooked evenly, use a kitchen torch to evenly brown the surface.
- Keep an eye on the meringue while it's in the oven to prevent burning.
- If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.
- To make the Baked Alaska easier to slice, freeze it for at least 4 hours before serving.
- For a more dramatic presentation, serve the Baked Alaska while it's still slightly frozen.
Conclusion:
Swiss Meringue is a delicious and versatile dessert that can be used in a variety of ways. It's perfect for Baked Alaska, but it can also be used to make pies, tarts, and other desserts. With a little practice, you'll be able to make perfect Swiss Meringue every time.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love