S’mores Baked Alaska
Hi friends, happy Wednesday! Can you believe it’s nearly the end of June already? I’m starting to chip away at my summer bucket list and #3 on the list – eat more ice cream – is what brings me here today. My humble offering for you today is just perfect for all your summer bucket list needs: S’mores Baked Alaska! If you find yourself thinking: what the heckidy heck is Vicki talking about, don’t panic! I go into more detail below, but ultimately, we’re combining a s’more with a baked Alaska. A s’more, as I’m sure you know, is a summer staple; consisting of a biscuit, melted chocolate, and a toasted marshmallow. A baked Alaska is a retro dessert that usually consists of a cake, an ice cream layer, and an outer layer of torched meringue. My mom used to make a mean baked Alaska when I was little, but they’ve gone out of fashion in recent years. Not to worry – we’re bringing it back with this s’mores version! Will you join me?
But wait.. what are these?
I hear you! I was a bit dumbfounded about what name to give these little guys when I initially made them. They’re part ice-cream/fudge pop/parfait/deconstructed s’more – and yet none of these titles accurately describe them! Baked Alaska seems like the nearest descriptor, but take that with a pinch of salt. These are the differences we’re making:
• first of all: these are single serving S’mores Baked Alaska. I made mine in silicone molds roughly 2.4″ x 1.5″ – these exact ones here – but use what you have! Ice-cream molds, or anything small enough to fit in your freezer, should work fine.
• traditionally, a baked Alaska has a cake base layer, but for these little treats we’re swapping that out for the classic s’more base: digestive biscuits.
• a baked Alaska is normally finished with a light French meringue – uncooked egg whites beaten with added sugar – and s’mores are normally topped with a whole marshmallow. We are, of course, swapping out both of these and meeting in the middle somewhere: Italian meringue. It’s more marshmallow-ey than French meringue, but still light and easy.
• usually, baked Alaska is filled with ice cream, and s’mores are filled with melted chocolate. Our s’mores baked Alaska is filled with a sort of mixture of the two! We’re making a rich chocolate ganache of sorts and freezing it. When frozen, it becomes melty and fudgy in all the best ways – almost like a chocolate ice-cream, but better!
S’mores Baked Alaska, the breakdown
Now that you know what on earth I’m talking about, let me break down the individual layers for you. I’ll keep it brief:
• biscuit crumbs. We’re keeping things classic with the crumbs – digestive biscuits, a little sugar, and melted salted butter. The whole thing comes together in a food processor – or you can whack it together with a plastic bag and a rolling pin if you want – in a matter of minutes. No baking, no messing around, simple!
• frozen chocolate. So creamy and chocolatey! But let me tell you the secret to this chocolate success: salt! This layer is laced with just a tad extra salt and it works so well to offset the sweetness of the meringue. It’s moreish and insanely delicious.
• Italian meringue. I love working with Italian meringue for so many reasons, but mostly because it is so stable. It’s made with egg whites and a hot sugar syrup, whisked into submission until super glossy and stiff. It’s a dream to pipe or swoop with, and it can be made up to 2-days ahead!
I just know you’re going to love them, friends!
Happy summer-ing! xo
S’mores Baked Alaska
INGREDIENTS
for the crumbs
- 250 g digestive biscuits
- 40 g caster sugar
- 90 g melted butter, melted
for the chocolate fudge
- 227 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 290 g double cream
- 240 g full-fat milk
- 50 g caster sugar
- 4 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
for the meringue
- 90 g egg whites
- 180 g sugar
- 40 g water
DIRECTIONS
- Have a baking tray nearby with the 12 silicone molds ready and steady. Also have a large measuring/pouring just nearby with a fine-mesh sieve set on top.
for the crumbs
- In a food processor, blitz together the sugar and digestive biscuits until uniform crumbs appear. Pour the melted butter into the crumbs and pulse until everything is sticky and buttery. Set aside.
for the chocolate fudge
- Add the chocolate and vanilla extract to a large heatproof bowl; set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed pot set over a medium-low heat, combine the cream, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisking often, continue to heat the mixture until bubbles form around the edges or the temperature on a digital thermometer hits 82-87°C. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chocolate/vanilla. Leave to sit for 1 minute.
- Starting in the centre of the bowl, use a whisk to stir the melted chocolate into the cream. Once the centre of the mixture is entirely combined then begin to work through the rest of the mixture. By the time it's entirely combined it should be silky and smooth.
- Pour the mixture through the sieve into the measuring jug. Pour the mixture into the molds and place in the freezer for 30-minutes, or until semi-frozen.
- When partially frozen, sprinkle a generous handful of the crumbs onto the base of each mold, about 2cm worth – keeping the leftover crumbs in a bag. Return the molds to the freezer until completely solid.
for the meringue
- Place the egg whites in the base of your stand-mixer with the whisk attachment. Do not whip, but have ready.
- In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water over a medium heat. There's no need to stir it, but a gentle swirl wouldn't go amiss.
- When the sugar temperature reaches 110°C on a digital thermometer, turn the stand-mixer to a low-med speed & begin whipping the egg whites. When the sugar reaches 118-119°C, remove from the heat.
- Ensuring the egg white mixture is frothy & slightly voluminous, pour the hot sugar mixture down the side of the bowl in a steady stream and into the egg whites – all while the mixer is going at medium speed.
- Turn the mixer to med-high speed & whisk together until the mixture is cool, stiff & very shiny – about 7-minutes. It should form stiff peaks. Transfer to a smaller bowl and store in the fridge until needed; for up to 2-days.
to finish
- De-mold the frozen chocolate spheres and place on serving plate.
- Using an offset spatula, spread a generous layer of meringue all around the chocolate, being careful not to melt it with the heat of your hands. Repeat with the remaining spheres.
- Use a kitchen blowtorch to lightly scorch the meringue-ed spheres. Enjoy!
NOTES
- chocolate fudge recipe adapted from Caitlin Freeman.
- this recipe makes more crumbs than you will need, but you can freeze any extra for future use. Alternatively, sprinkle extra crumbs over the dessert when serving!
- fully formed, these keep extremely well in the freezer! The only issue is that the meringue remains sticky even when frozen, so they need to be stored in a large container without touching.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment & a rating below, or tag me on Instagram @imvcki. Thank you so much for supporting Passionate Baker!
these are so cute!
Delicious as always!