To the growing cadre of books about chocolate, add Tish Boyle and Tim Moriarty's Chocolate Passion. For it, the authors, both editors at Chocolatier and Pastry Arts and Design magazines, have collected more than 50 recipes celebrating chocolate--the world's favorite flavor, as they dub it. These include formulas for cakes, cookies, mousses, tarts, and candies.
This American classic -- a favorite of white tablecloth restaurants and cruise ships -- is making a comeback in our retro-conscious age. The meringue insulates the ice cream during the browning, creating an intriguing interplay of flavors and temperatures.
Yield: 6 servings
Preparation: 2 hours, plus chilling, freezing, and baking times
Special equipment: Ice cream machine; 4-inch round biscuit cutter
Caramel Nut Ice Cream:
6 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
Pinch of salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
Chocolate Fudge Cake:
1 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup water
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce:
1 cup sweetened alkalized cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Meringue:
6 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
MAKE THE CARAMEL NUT ICE CREAM
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the salt until blended.
In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half and heavy cream to a gentle boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
In a large, heavy saucepan, using a wooden spoon, stir together the remaining sugar and lemon juice. Over medium heat, cook the sugar mixture for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it liquefies and then turns to an amber- colored caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the half-and-half mixture. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, to help dissolve any caramel that may have hardened. Bring the caramel mixture to a gentle boil and remove the pan from the heat.
Gradually whisk about 1 cup of the hot caramel mixture into the beaten egg yolks until blended. Return this mixture to the saucepan. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the custard has thickened slightly. It is done when you can run your finger down the back of the custard-coated spoon and a path remains. Do not let the custard boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately strain the custard through a sieve into a stainless steel bowl. Place the bowl over a larger bowl of ice water and stir the custard for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cool. Stir in the vanilla extract. Remove the bowl of custard from the bowl of ice water. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until very cold.
Scrape the chilled custard into the container of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions, adding the chopped almonds for the last 2 minutes of freezing. Transfer the ice cream to a bowl. Cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap and cover the bowl tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze the ice cream overnight.
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment or waxed paper. Lightly butter the paper and dust the pan with the flour, shaking off the excess flour. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, using a wire whisk, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly blended. Sift the flour mixture onto a piece of waxed paper.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat until smooth. Continue cooking until the sugar mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate
to the saucepan. Let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until tepid.
Using a wire whisk, stir in the eggs one at a time, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour until combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly. Bake the cake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched in the center and pulls away from the sides of the
pan.
Cool the cake set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edges of the cake pan to loosen it. Invert the cake onto a wire rack. Peel off the paper and let the cake cool completely.
Using a 4-inch biscuit cutter, cut 6 circles from the chocolate cake. Slide a metal spatula under the cake rounds and transfer them to a baking sheet. Reserve the remaining cake for snacking. Place a large rounded scoop of ice cream on top of each cake round. Freeze uncovered for up to 8 hours.
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Place the sifted cocoa powder and chocolate in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, heavy cream, water, and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the cocoa mixture and allow to stand for 3 to 4 minutes. Using a wire whisk, stir the mixture until smooth. Strain the chocolate sauce through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; let cool. Cover the surface of the chocolate sauce with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
MAKE THE MERINGUE
In the 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer with the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated and brown sugar, and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture is glossy. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip (such as Ateco #6). Pipe the meringue in overlapping shells over the ice cream, covering it completely but leaving the cake visible. Freeze until ready to bake (can be prepared 1 day ahead).
ASSEMBLE THE DESSERTS
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Bake the desserts until the meringue is light brown, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer each baked Alaska to a plate. Spoon some sauce onto the plates and serve immediately.
