Mini baked Alaskas with boozy cherry centres
By Good Food
A much-loved favourite with a modern-day twist – and all the components can be prepared in advance
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Prep:15 mins
Cook:20 mins
Ready in 35 mins plus freezing overnight - More effort
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 1004
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fat 50g
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saturates 22g
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carbs 126g
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sugars 110g
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fibre 3g
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protein 17g
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salt 1.01g
Ingredients
- 500 ml tub good vanilla ice cream - one with real vanilla is nice
- 200g black cherry jam
- 2 tbsp kirsch
- 100g butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
- 100g toasted flaked almonds
- 85g self-raising flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 3 egg whites
- 225g caster sugar
Method
Line 4 individual pudding moulds with cling film – brushing with oil first will help. Divide the ice cream between them, shaping so an even thickness covers the base and sides with a hollow in the middle. Mix the jam with 2 tsp of the kirsch, spoon into the ice-cream hollows, cover and freeze overnight.
For the base, heat oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a 20cm square cake tin. Reserve 2 tbsp of the almonds, then whizz the rest in a food processor until finely chopped and tip into a bowl with the flour, butter, beaten whole eggs and 100g caster sugar. Beat until smooth, then spread into the tin and bake for 15-18 mins until golden and springy. Cool on a wire rack. This cake will sit quite happily in a tin for 24 hrs, but stamp out the bases on the day or the edges will dry overnight.
For the meringue, whisk the egg whites until stiff, then add the remaining sugar and continue whisking until the meringue is thick and glossy. Can be chilled for up to 5 hrs. With a 7cm round cutter or rim of a pudding mould, cut 4 bases from the almond sponge. Drizzle with the rest of the kirsch, then sit them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
When you’re ready to serve, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Turn 1 ice cream out onto each round of cake, peeling off the cling film, then spread over meringue using a knife or small spatula until completely covered. Scatter with remaining almonds and bake for 3 mins until the tips of the meringues are just browning. Lift onto serving plates with a fish slice and serve immediately.
