Raspberry Sorbet For Baked Alaska Bombe Recipes

BAKED ALASKA BOMBE

Steps:

• Make the bombe: Line a 7-cup bombe mold or deep bowl with plastic wrap. Spread raspberry sorbet into mold, pressing evenly into bottom to prevent air pockets. Freeze 1 hour. Spread blueberry sorbet evenly over raspberry. Freeze 1 hour. Spread vanilla ice cream over blueberry. The ice cream should come to top of mold. Place dacquoise round on ice cream, pressing gently to adhere. Wrap bombe in plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.
• Dip bottom and sides of mold in hot water, unwrap top of mold, then invert mold onto a serving platter (repeat dipping if necessary). Remove plastic wrap; wipe off excess melted ice cream and sorbet. Refreeze at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make the meringue frosting: Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook, undisturbed, until a candy thermometer registers 248 degrees.
• Meanwhile, whisk egg whites with a mixer on low speed until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar. Raise speed to medium, and whisk until soft peaks form, about 8 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add hot syrup in a slow, steady stream down side of bowl. Raise speed to high, and beat until thick, fluffy, and cool, about 7 minutes.
• Fit a large pastry bag with a large star tip (such as Ateco #827). Pipe meringue over cake to completely cover with rosettes, pulling up as you pipe to form points. Freeze at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
• To serve, lightly brown meringue all over with a small kitchen torch. Serve immediately with coulis, blueberries, and dacquoise cookies.

SUMMER BERRY BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Simmer blackberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the blackberries are soft and very saucy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and zest. Pour into a pie plate and let cool to room temperature.
• Spray a 3 1/2-quart metal or glass bowl with cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the edge of the bowl.
• Spread 2 cups of vanilla ice cream over the bottom of the bowl. Use a large piece of plastic wrap to press the ice cream down into the bowl. Dip both sides of half the angel food cake in to the blackberry syrup (like you do with French toast) and arrange, on top of the ice cream, tearing pieces of cake as needed to cover in a flat layer. Top with any remaining sauce.
• Spread the raspberry sorbet over the angel food cake. Use a large piece of plastic wrap to press down the sorbet. Flatten with a spatula and top with the remaining angel food cake slices, tearing pieces of cake as needed to cover in a flat layer. Fold the overhanging plastic over top and gently press down. Freeze until hard, at least 4 hours up to overnight.
• Make the meringue: Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high, gradually add the sugar and whip until the whites hold stiff peaks and the sugar has dissolved, 5 minutes more. Invert the ice cream cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, remove the plastic wrap. (If the cake is difficult to remove, let the bowl stand overturned until it slips out easily, about 5 minutes.) Spread the meringue evenly over the sides, but slightly thicker on top. Use the back of a spoon to make large swirly peaks. Freeze 3 hours or up to 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the dessert until the meringue is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Alternately, use a small torch to brown the meringue all over. Use two large spatulas to transfer the baked Alaska to a large serving plate, cake stand or cutting board. Slice into wedges.

STRAWBERRY BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water); whisk constantly just until mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until very thick and ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 7 minutes. Add flour in 3 additions, gently folding just to combine after each. Fold in poppy seeds, then quickly fold in butter in 2 additions (do not overfold). Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Remove pan sides.
• For filling:
• Line 4-quart 10-inch-diameter bowl with plastic wrap, leaving 8-inch overhang. Spread sorbet in even layer over bottom (not sides) of bowl. Spread ice cream over sorbet. Place cake atop ice cream, pressing slightly to compact. Cover with plastic wrap overhang; freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For meringue:
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until thick and glossy. Beat in vanilla.
• Unfold plastic wrap from over cake at top of bowl. Invert dessert onto 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom; remove plastic wrap. Working quickly, spread meringue over dessert, swirling to form peaks and covering completely. Freeze at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep frozen.)
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Place dessert on its tart pan bottom on heavy large baking sheet. Bake just until meringue is light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve immediately.

RASPBERRY SORBET FOR BAKED ALASKA BOMBE

Steps:

• Combine raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to break up fruit. Reduce to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and working in batches, puree mixture in a blender. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl (you should have 1 cup). Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons for coulis. Freeze remaining mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions, then transfer directly to bombe mold.

RASPBERRY BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Slice the cake into six 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut six (2 1/2-inch) circles--one from each slice--with an unfluted round cookie cutter, discarding the scraps. (You can also use a small knife.) Place the cake rounds 2 inches apart on a flat dish that will fit in your freezer.
• Soften the sorbet and ice cream just enough to be able to scoop them with a standard 2 1/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop (15 to 30 seconds in the microwave works). Fill half the scoop with raspberry sorbet and the rest of the scoop with vanilla ice cream and place an ice cream ball, flat side down, in the middle of each cake round. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, until the ice cream is very hard.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• To make the Swiss meringue, place the egg whites and sugar in a heat-proof glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture almost constantly, until it reaches 120 degrees F on a candy thermometer and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt and beat on medium speed for one minute, then on high speed for 5 minutes, until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer the cake rounds and ice cream to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Working quickly, spread the meringue with a spoon or small spatula, making lots of peaks all over with the back of the spoon. (You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip and pipe the meringue thickly around each ball of ice cream and cake.) Be sure all of the ice cream is covered with meringue. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, until the edges of the meringues are browned, turning the pan once to brown evenly. Transfer to dessert plates, drizzle Fresh Raspberry Sauce around each baked Alaska, and serve immediately.
• Place the raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and the framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Pour into a container and chill. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to one week.