We’ve talked about Alice Roca before, but never about her phenomenal igloo-shaped icy dessert: the Baked Alaska. What’s the secret? A lighter version of the classic Baked Alaska, featuring a crunchy granola biscuit and a mix of strawberry, vanilla, and rhubarb-sorrel sorbets and ice creams. Found in her sublime book "Réunir”, we couldn’t resist sharing the recipe with you! Alice's tip? For a last-minute fix, you can substitute homemade ice creams with high-quality artisanal versions from the store. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients to Shop For
For the Strawberry Sorbet (750 ml):
- 600 g of Mara des Bois strawberries
- 140 g of sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the Vanilla Ice Cream (750 ml):
- 500 ml of whole milk
- 80 g of sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 vanilla bean
For the Rhubarb-Sorrel Sorbet (750 ml):
- 500 g of rhubarb
- 150 g of fresh sorrel leaves
- 140 g of sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
For the Granola Biscuit:
- 240 g of rolled oats
- 160 g of melted unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp of agave syrup or honey
- 50 g of nuts or almonds
- 2 tbsp of sesame seeds
For the Meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 50 to 100 g of powdered sugar (to taste)
For Flambéing:
- A bit of white rum
Recipe
Preparation:
Start with a small stainless steel mixer bowl or a 2.5-liter mixing bowl, lining it with plastic wrap. If making your ice creams, start by preparing the vanilla cream base as it needs time to cool.
Vanilla Ice Cream:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk, turn off the heat, and let the vanilla bean infuse for about an hour (this can be done the night before). Remove the vanilla bean, reheat the milk. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar. Pour a bit of warm milk into this mixture, then add it back to the saucepan. Lower the heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Be careful not to overcook it to avoid scrambling the eggs. If it curdles slightly, blend to smooth out lumps. Cool completely. Prepare the granola biscuit by blending all ingredients briefly to retain a chunky texture.
Strawberry Sorbet:
Blend the washed and hulled strawberries with sugar and lemon juice. Churn in an ice cream maker. Spread the strawberry sorbet at the bottom of the lined bowl, smoothing the top. Add a third of the granola biscuit over the sorbet. Freeze.
Rhubarb-Sorrel Sorbet:
Clean and chop the rhubarb, cook on low heat until it releases enough water to press through a sieve to obtain juice. Blend the juice with washed sorrel leaves, sugar, and lemon juice. Churn in an ice cream maker. Layer the sorbet over the granola in the mold. Add another layer of granola. Freeze.
Assemble:
Churn the cooled vanilla custard in an ice cream maker. Fill the mold with the vanilla ice cream, finishing with a final layer of granola. Freeze until needed.
On the Day:
Whip the egg whites. Gradually add sugar as the whites start to stiffen. Remove the mold from the freezer, briefly run it under hot water, and invert it onto a serving plate. Cover with meringue. Freeze again. Before serving, brown the meringue using a blowtorch or under the oven grill.
For a dramatic finish, heat a bit of white rum with sugar in a pan. At the table, flambé the mixture and pour the flaming liquid over the Baked Alaska in front of your guests. Enjoy immediately.
Tip: Ensure your mold fits in your freezer.
Discover also the Dakos, a Cretan appetizer we love, and the simplest lemon cream recipe.
