What is so special about a Baked Alaska dessert and how do you bake ice cream without a soupy meltdown? Speaking of meltdowns, Rob and I watch the Great British Baking Show, which you can find on Netflix if you are so inclined, where amateur bakers create a variety of baked goods in an attempt to be named "Star Baker" and advance to become the season's winner. It was during the Baked Alaska episode that bad behavior and/or bad judgment was witnessed by audiences around the world, sending Twitter into a tailspin.
Iain Watters was making a showstopper of a Baked Alaska, when rival contestant Diana removed it from the freezer while it was setting. This upset Iain, and apparently caused the tasty treat to melt and collapse. Iain responded by throwing the whole lot in the bin- and he was kicked off the show. Diana mysteriously left the show after that episode.
What is the history of Baked Alaska and how did it get its name, you may wonder? As found in a National Public Radio article entitled "Baked Alaska: A Creation Story Shrouded In Mystery," by Mya Silver, the answers are:
"On March 30, 1867, for a mere $7.2 million — about two cents per acre — the U.S. bought land from Russia that would eventually make Alaska its 49th state, gaining a delicious fringe benefit in the process: Baked Alaska.
This igloo-shaped dessert — cake and ice cream shrouded in toasted meringue — didn't come from the icy north, but its name was inspired by the land deal. In fact, the treat's true roots date back to the turn of the 18th century, when American-born scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson (aka Count Rumford, a title he gained for his loyalty to the crown during the American Revolution) — whose inventions included a kitchen range and a double boiler — made a discovery about egg whites. He realized that the air bubbles inside whipped egg whites made meringue a great insulator. The meringue insulates the ice cream from heat."
As you can guess, Rob chose to make Baked Alaska. The recipe and photos can be found below.
Baked Alaska Recipe from: John Kanell, Website: Preppy Kitchen
https://preppykitchen.com/baked-alaska/
Ingredients
- 1 pint ice cream
- 1 lb cake
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Line a bowl with plastic wrap and fill with ice cream. Use a spatula to smooth and pack down the ice cream.
Add a round of pound cake to the base. Wrap well and freeze for a few hours until fully set.
Add the room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, and mix on medium until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and increase to high speed. Mix until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract toward the end of mixing. Unwrap the ice cream dome and place on cake stand or plate. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a tip of your choosing. Pipe the meringue onto the dome. You can pipe swirls, dollops, a giant spiral or any pattern imaginable.
Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue. You can also brown if by baking at 500F for a few minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep a close eye if you bake it!!!
NotesUse the bowl you are packing with ice cream as a guide to cut the pound cake, which you will use for the base.
Make sure the ice cream is ROCK hard before piping the meringue. If things start to melt the meringue will start sliding off. 
Rob made a vanilla cake from scratch to use in the Baked Alaska, and he toasted the meringue with a kitchen torch. For the ice cream, he chose Ben & Jerry's "Netflix & Chilll'd." This is a peanut butter ice cream with sweet and salty pretzel swirls and fudge brownies. Ben & Jerry's teamed up with Netflix to introduce this flavor in February 2020.
Rob's creation is sublime in appearance and the taste leaves one feeling elated. You could view your favorite Netflix movie or show while eating a piece of this treat, and be content to stay home. Thank you for spending time with our blog. Linda and Rob
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