Edd Kimber: Lazy Baked Alaska

Extracted from Chocolate Baking by Edd Kimber (Quadrille, £28). Photography by Matthew Hague

Baked Alaska traditionally consists of a cake base, an ice cream filling and a meringue topping that is placed in the oven, under the grill (broiler), until browned. This version is more of a quick assembly job; one that utilises a couple of shop-bought elements plus a couple of simple homemade ones. The recipe is very much a guide. Using the meringue and ice cream as your base, you can make versions with all manner of ingredients. Brownie offcuts for the base, for example, leftover caramel instead of chocolate sauce or even jam instead of the compote. Whilst I like to make this with vanilla ice cream it would also be wonderful with the Salted Dark Chocolate Sorbet (page 118) or the Milk Chocolate Liquorice Ice Cream (page 121).

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Method

1 For the compote, put everything in a small saucepan, place over a medium heat and cook for 2–3 minutes or until the fruit has broken down and the liquid is thick and syrupy. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside until needed. It can also be refrigerated for a couple days before using, if needed.

2 For the chocolate sauce, place everything in a small bowl and heat in a microwave, using short 15-second bursts, until the cream is hot. Stir everything together to form a smooth sauce. Set aside until needed. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so stir to loosen when needed. The sauce can also be refrigerated for a couple days before using, but once refrigerated it will firm up and will need heating slightly to loosen.

3 When ready to serve, make the meringue topping. Add everything to a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove and use an electric mixer to whisk until the meringue holds stiff glossy peaks, about 3–4 minutes.

4 To assemble, divide your pretzels/peanuts between two coupe/ martini glasses or other small bowls. Top with a scoop of ice cream and use an ice cream scoop or spoon to press down on the ball of ice cream to create a small well. Add the compote and then the sauce atop the ice cream. Spoon or pipe over the meringue. Use a kitchen blowtorch to burnish the meringue until it’s as dark as you want.

5 Serve immediately.