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Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Posted on July 26, 2010 by amydeline

Today’s a very special day! Right now, at this very moment, you are reading my 100th blog post! Wow! One hundred posts! Where in the world did the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was spending all of my free time tending to my imaginary mafia.

Change a diaper. Beg for untraceable cell phones and illegal transaction records. Play legos. Save up enough Thai Baht to buy a Nguhea Sniper Rifle. Clean up the play-doh that’s been rubbed into the carpet. Try to collect the last faberge egg for my Moscow collection. Console a crying baby. Spend 24 million rubles on a musk ox. All in a day’s work.

Then, I abandoned my mafia and entered the blogosphere. Now I alternate between toys, cooking, temper tantrums, food photography, snuggling, recipe writing, laundry, editing, bath time, and menu-planning. I suppose that being The Gourmand Mom is a much more productive role than Mafia Wars Mom.

So, you may be wondering what else has changed during these past 100 posts.

Well…

Writing recipes feels a whole lot easier than the first few posts that I fumbled through. I hope they’ve become easier for you to follow.

I’ve baked more bread products than I ever did in my pre-blog life. In fact, I had to buy a new cover for my dining room table, since the old cover seemed to be harvesting yeast which my three year old so kindly scattered across the table.

I’ve gained back a couple of the pounds I worked so hard to lose. Going to have to fix that. But it’s been for a good cause and I had fun doing it. Perhaps I can file for some sort of blogger’s compensation for my troubles?

My love of cooking has been completely reinvigorated.  Having a forum for sharing recipes and stories about food has been truly fulfilling for me. Thank you for being my audience.

Having an audience has forced me to add even more variety to my cooking. Since I’m guessing you don’t want to read about the same recipes every week.

My children have become the most skilled toddler sous chefs. I think I need to find little aprons and chef’s hats for them.

Through practice, my photography has become more purposeful. Now, rather than taking a hundred pics to get five that are post-worthy, I take about fifty. Though I’m still quite the novice photographer, I’m getting better at judging lighting and approximating camera settings.

It’s been a fun hundred posts. I’m looking forward to writing a hundred more!

In honor of such a momentous occasion, I’ve been saving something special for you. My favorite food in the whole world is macaroni and cheese (or ‘Ronis and Cheese, as my little guy calls it). And I don’t discriminate. I love ALL macaroni and cheese, whether it’s frozen, from a box, or made fresh from the finest cheeses. I like it baked or creamy. I like it smothered with cheese and bread crumbs or not. Just give me any macaroni and some form of cheese and I’m a very happy girl.

Today is a special day though, so a special macaroni and cheese is in order. And I’ve got just the thing to turn something sort of pedestrian into something elegant and worthy of a celebratory meal. That’s right… Lobster!! Lobster makes everything fancy. Now, once we throw lobster into the mix, we need to pay special attention to the cheese selection. Now would NOT be the time for American cheese or Velveeta. They’ve certainly got their place in the world of mac and cheese, but it’s definitely not here. Now’s the time for smooth cheese with grown-up flavor. I’m using three of my all time favorite cheeses; Gruyere, Fontina, and Brie. You can substitute other cheeses, if desired. Try gouda, chevre, provolone, asiago, or sharp cheddar.

Our sauce starts as a basic Bechamel Sauce, which is simply a white sauce, made with milk that is thickened with a roux. (Check out my roux guide by clicking here.) The thickened milk is then seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Bechamel is one of the five French mother sauces, meaning that many other sauces can be made with a base of bechamel. To our bechamel, we’ll melt in the delicious cheeses. Finally, we’ll toss the macaroni with the sauce and warm lobster meat. If you feel like racing lobsters, go ahead and buy some live lobsters, steam them, and collect the meat. Or, do as I did and buy a container of frozen lobster meat. You grocery store may also sell lobster tails, which can be steamed.

Before we get to the recipe, I want to let you in on a little secret. I made the macaroni and cheese on Saturday when we had people over. And I actually sort of botched it. Not a complete botch, but a definite error of convenience. My prime focus at the time, was on the burgers. My intention was to submit the burger recipe for a contest. So, I wanted to be able to devote all of my attention towards working out the timing and flavor balance of the burger components. Then the storm came, which totally turned the burger plan upside down. Anyway, I prepared the macaroni and cheese earlier in the afternoon and stuck it in a baking dish, figuring that I’d bake it in the oven to reheat with a little extra cheese melted on top. As I should have anticipated, the pasta drank up most of the sauce during the baking. It was still very flavorful, but not the creamy mac and cheese I’d intended.

Never fear though. The recipe I’m writing for you does not include a baking step. So, your macaroni and cheese will be creamy and delicious. If you do want to prepare it ahead of time, I’d recommend tossing the pasta with just a bit of sauce. Then, refrigerate the bulk of the sauce and the pasta separately. You can reheat both and combine, along with the lobster, when you’re ready to eat.

This is good, good stuff. If there were a way to send food through the world wide web, I’d send you each a taste and a glass of celebratory champagne. But since that’s not possible yet, I’ll share my recipe instead. Then you can whip yourself up a batch of fancy ‘Ronis and Cheese.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 box Pasta, such as Campanelle
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere
  • 1 cup Fontina
  • 1/2 cup Brie
  • 3 cups Milk
  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 3 Tbsp Flour
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 pound Lobster Meat

Directions

Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside. In the same pot that you cooked the pasta, whisk the butter and flour together over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. This is your roux for thickening the milk. It should have a pasty consistency. Remove the roux with a spatula and set aside. Add the milk to the pot. Bring the milk to a simmer. Then, begin to whisk in the roux, whisking until smooth. Allow the milk to simmer with the roux for a few minutes until it begins to thicken. Whisk constantly. Add the nutmeg, cayenne, and salt. Turn down the heat to low. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Add the lobster meat and the cooked pasta to the hot sauce. Stir for a minute or so until it’s well combined and hot.

I hope you’ve been enjoying this blog during these first one hundred posts. Let me know how you’ve liked it so far and if there’s any way I can serve you better! Thanks for reading!

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Irresistible Spinach Dip and (Possibly) Pasta Chips

Posted on July 25, 2010 by amydeline

My little brother was in town this weekend! He’s the only one of my siblings who doesn’t live nearby and we miss him terribly. It’s always a good time when he drives up for a visit. And it’s always a good excuse for a soiree of sorts. So, yesterday, some family and friends gathered at my house for some good food and great company. There’s nothing better than being with a group of people, who can have a blast just sitting around a room, after a filling meal, telling stories and laughing together. Excellent people.

There are a handful of recipes I make over and over again when I entertain; the items that people have come to expect when they visit. One of those things is spinach dip, typically served in a hollowed-out bread bowl with chunks of bread scattered all around for dipping. People frequently comment on how much they love my spinach dip, but I can’t really call it mine at all. The recipe is printed on the back of every packet of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix. My mom used to make it for parties when I was a kid. At that time, it was her recipe. I make it now and it’s mine. You can make it tomorrow, and call it yours. But the true credit goes to Knorr.

Every single time I’ve ever made this dip, I’ve served it in a bread bowl (usually pumpernickel) with doughy chunks of sourdough and pumpernickel all around. Except yesterday, when I didn’t serve it with bread at all. I was inspired to try something new after a recent night out with my sister and a friend. We’d eaten at a restaurant which has several dishes on their menu featuring something called pasta chips. I’d had pasta chip nachos on a previous visit. And last week, we ordered a spinach and artichoke dip that was served with these crispy pasta chips. Following the initial nacho experience, my sister and I pondered how the pasta chips were made. When we had them again last week, an idea occurred to me. Perhaps they were made with wonton wrappers, like the wonton wrappers I used in the Shrimp and Sweet Corn Ravioli. I decided I’d give it a try.

Well, after frying up a batch, I can’t say for certain that the restaurant uses wonton wrappers for their pasta chips. The end result was quite similar, but not quite their pasta chips. But you’ll never guess what they did turn out to be. Drum roll please…. Fried Wonton Chips! And they are good; addictively good. So, I fried the whole batch and served my Wonton/Pasta Chips with the dip.

My Spinach Dip Recipe

(I mean Knorr’s Spinach Dip Recipe.)

Ingredients

  • 1 10-ounce package Frozen Chopped Spinach
  • 1 packet Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
  • 1 16-ounce container sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise*
  • 1 can Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1 bunch of Green Onions, sliced*

*The original Knorr’s recipe calls for 1 cup of Mayonnaise and 3 green onions.

Directions

Defrost the spinach and squeeze dry. (This would be a good time to use a piece of cheesecloth, but your hands will suffice.) Combine the spinach with the other ingredients. Mix to combine and refrigerate. The dip is best after it’s been refrigerated for a few hours. Serve with bread or chips.

Fried Wonton Pasta Chips

Ingredients

  • 1 package Wonton Wrappers
  • Oil (Use a neutral flavored oil, such as canola.)

Directions

Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the wonton wrappers, if desired. Pour about 1/4 inch oil into a pan. Heat over medium/medium-high until it’s good and hot. In small batches of about 5-6, place the wonton wrappers in the oil in a single layer. They will begin to cook quickly. Use tongs to flip the wrappers after a few seconds, when they begin to look a light toasty brown. Cook a few more seconds on the other side. Then, use your tongs to remove the fried wontons and place them on a paper towel to drain. Repeat for all wonton wrappers, stacking layers of paper towels, as necessary.

Great visit with my brother, friends, and family. I took full advantage of my group of eager taste-testers to work on a burger recipe I’m planning to submit for a contest. Torrential rain foiled my initial grill plans, but we worked it out inside. Thank you cast-iron grill pan.

Enjoyed a bit of cool, crisp Riesling, my favorite summer wine.

There were warm Cheddar and Garlic Biscuits. Click here for the biscuit recipe.

Cheddar and Garlic Biscuits

I made one more really yummy dish, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that one.

Trust me, it’s worth the wait!

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Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese in a Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette

Posted on July 22, 2010 by amydeline

In general, I like to alternate heavier meals (like last night’s Chicken Cordon Bleu) with something a bit lighter. A fresh salad of spinach in a citrus vinaigrette with beets and a bit of herbed goat cheese seemed perfect tonight. Since my hubby always likes to have some sort of meat or fish protein with dinner, I’m also roasting up a few Sweet Apple Chicken sausages. But the real star of tonight’s dinner is the salad.

I’ve made beet salads a few different ways, sometimes slicing and stacking the beets, other times cutting them into little cubes. Today it occurred to me that I could have a little fun with the stacked beets. So, I pulled out my bin of cookie cutters to find one which would be the right size for my beets. Apparently, my cookie cutter bin has a magnetic pull on my three-year-old. He was content in the living room playing with his cars and motorcycles, but the moment the bin came out, he was magically by my side asking to help. How can I say no to my little sous chef?

Little chef, making teddy bear and gingerbread man shaped beets.

This particular little sous chef happens to be quite the picky eater, albeit a very eager and creative chef. He was the mastermind behind Ice Cream Pizza, the artist behind teddy bear beets, and has recently been suggesting I make Vanilla Soup. (I’m still working on that one.) He’d eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and popcorn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every single day, if I let him. Which, much to his dismay, I do not. I just keep plugging along, exposing him to a variety of foods and hoping that if he’s hungry, he’ll eat. But it’s also my hope that by involving him in so much of the cooking process, he’ll be more likely to try new things. We’ll get there eventually.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad in a Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 4 Beets
  • 4 ounces Goat Cheese
  • 4 cups Baby Spinach
  • 1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

For the Dressing

  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • Juice of 1 Orange
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 1 Tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Shallot, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Zest from the fruits, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the top and bottom of the beets. Wrap the beets in foil. Make sure they are thoroughly wrapped. Place the foil packet of beets in a baking dish on the middle oven rack. Cook for 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the beets, until the tip of a knife inserts easily. Cool. Using a knife, remove the skin. Slice or cut as desired.

For the dressing, combine all ingredients. (You should have about 1/2 cup combined juice from the orange, lemon, and lime.) Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add additional olive oil, if desired.

Toss the spinach in a little dressing. Create a tower of alternating layers of roasted beet slices and goat cheese. Drizzle a little extra dressing on top. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and citrus zest.

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I’m Baaaack!

Posted on July 13, 2010 by amydeline

So nice to see you again! You’ve been missed.

We were away for a long weekend on Long Island to celebrate the wedding of a wonderful friend.

Our weekend had a rocky start. We ended up in the Emergency Room on Saturday morning with my littlest guy, whose allergic reaction to amoxicillin was worsening. My sweet little baby awoke covered in angry looking hives with swollen hands and feet and bright red swollen ears which protruded from his head. He was less than pleased with the visit to the ER, but the docs took good care of him and we headed back to my parents’ house with our puffy baby. A few doses of steroids, lots of extra snuggles, and an early bedtime brought the smile back to his precious face.

Snuggling my sick little guy

That evening, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with my parents and brother; grilled marinated chicken and hanger steak, corn on the cob, potato salad, and garlic bread.

Fresh herbs from the neighbor's garden, which were put to good use in the marinades and potato salad.

Sizzling chicken

Grilled hanger steak, garlic bread, corn on the cob, and potato salad

On Sunday, we attended a beautiful wedding for a beautiful globe-trotting couple. It took place on a riverboat!

The Lauren Kristy Riverboat

Bacon-wrapped pineapple - Bacon makes everything better, doesn't it??

Wedding Cupcakes!

The wedding was full of thoughtful little touches, laughter, and love. It’s evident how perfectly matched the bride and groom are. We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness.

Before we started for home on Monday morning, we met up with my Grandma for breakfast at her regular spot. I order my usual corned beef hash with two eggs over-well and rye toast. It’s always the perfect way to fill my belly for the ride home!

Now we’re back home and I’m ready to cook!

Check back later for something tasty…

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Boom and Roar

Posted on July 5, 2010 by amydeline

From the boom of the fireworks to the roar of Niagara Falls, our 4th of July weekend was a blast! We spent the day in Buffalo visiting with dear friends and their two little children. The kids played themselves silly, caused an appropriate amount of mischief, ran, biked, and jumped until their eyelids grew heavy.

We dined on a delicious dinner of grilled burgers, hot dogs, and chicken with corn on the cob, garlicky green beans, and Caprese salad.

After dinner, the two older boys and the dads pitched a tent in the yard. My three year old came prepared with everything a little boy could need for his first campout; a lantern, binoculars, and his best friend, Elephant.

Once the kids were settled in their sleeping bags and beds, the adults relaxed around a fire pit for a few drinks and more than a few laughs, with the crack of fireworks in the air.

The flag cake was a grand success. And since I know you’re curious, here’s a picture of the inside.

The next morning, our gracious hosts prepared fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies and cheesy eggs with sausage. Before heading home, we all made the short drive up to Niagara Falls for a quick peek. The most beautiful rainbow was awaiting us near the base of Horseshoe Falls.

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Brunch to BBQ – Meal #2

Posted on June 27, 2010 by amydeline

The brunch was a fantastic success, but I must admit that there was a point just post-brunch, when I seriously questioned my grand plan of throwing a party consisting of two separate meals. I mean, after the brunch, I didn’t think any of us would ever be hungry again. Half of us lay paralyzed in a food coma, while the kids climbed all over us and added props to our slumber. The other half was entranced by the steady hum of vuvuzelas while watching the world cup game.

My sister, in a post-brunch food coma

But we managed to peel ourselves off the floor and head outside to play a few games and enjoy the post-rain cool temperature. Eventually, there came a time where we could see another meal in our future.

The weather forecast had been predicting scattered storms throughout the day, so I planned to make sausages with roasted peppers and onions, figuring that if the weather were nice, we’d fire up the grill for the sausages and if it rained, I’d roast them in the oven. Around the time we were ready to eat, the weather was holding steady and dry. But out of sheer laziness, we decided to roast them in the oven anyway. Our menu consisted of the Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions on rolls with provolone cheese, corn on the cob, and a pasta salad courtesy of my sis.

Here are the details and a few recipes from our Brunch to BBQ Meal #2…

Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions


Ingredients

  • 6 Italian Sausages, hot or mild
  • 3 Bell Peppers, sliced
  • 2  Onions, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1-2 Hot Cherry Peppers, chopped
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut each sausage in half. (This will allow the sausages to release some of their yummy juices into the pepper and onion mix.) Combine sausages, sliced bell peppers and onions, chopped cherry peppers, and garlic in a baking dish.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Toss to combine. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes, until the sausages are fully cooked and lightly browned. The peppers and onions should be soft, but not mushy. Toss the mixture every 10-15 minutes to ensure that the sausages brown on all sides.

Enjoy on a roll with a slice of provolone cheese.

Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad

My sister brought along a Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad. The recipe comes from the Food and Wine section of the NBC Today show’s website. You can find the recipe for Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad by clicking here. My sister added slices of turkey pepperoni, which were a nice touch. This pasta salad can be served chilled or at room temperature, which makes it a perfect party dish!

Steamy corn on the cob...for 25 cents a cob, you can't beat it!

Round 2 Results: The Food - 0 The Gourmand Mom - 2

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Brunch to BBQ – Let the preparations begin!

Posted on June 25, 2010 by amydeline

Tomorrow, we’re hosting a little gathering to celebrate the arrival of summer! We’re calling it a Brunch to BBQ! We’ll start with a brunch, then move into the yard for some playtime and beverages. When we get hungry again, we’ll fire up the grill. So, today I’ve mainly been preparing for the festivities.

For the brunch, I’ll be making Eggs Benedict, which is probably my all time favorite brunch dish. It features a toasted English muffin, topped with a slice of Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and a spoonful of decadent hollandaise sauce. I’ve put together a series of photo guides that will help you put this delicious dish together.

How to Poach an Egg will show you step by step how to easily poach the perfect egg without any special equipment.

How to Clarify Butter will walk you through a simple process for clarifying butter, which you will need for the hollandaise sauce.

Finally, How to Make a Hollandaise Sauce will take you through the traditional procedure for making this super star of French sauces.

We’ll also be having bagels with homemade Scallion Cream Cheese and Olive Cream Cheese. My sister is bringing her famous Breakfast Pizza and a friend is bringing a breakfast casserole. There will be mimosas (of course) and even some mango bellinis.

Later in the day, we’ll fire up the grill for some sausages, which we’ll serve with roasted peppers and onions. We’ll have corn on the cob and a pasta salad courtesy of my sis!

It’s shaping up to be a great day! Check out the photo guides and stay tuned for pictures and recipes from tomorrow’s Brunch to BBQ summertime celebration!

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Eat Your Greens! Spicy Utica Style.

Posted on June 24, 2010 by amydeline

I’d never heard of Utica Greens until a few months ago. We’d gone out to dinner at a local Italian steakhouse, Delmonico’s. Along with the standard mashed potatoes and Italian Bread, many of the meals were served with a side of something called Utica Greens. It was love at first bite. Spicy, salty, and delicious. A perfect match for my steak. A few weeks later Utica Greens popped up as a question in the weekly trivia night I attend. My interest was piqued. So, I started looking into this tasty dish.

Utica Greens are a spicy escarole dish, named for their birthplace of Utica, New York. I guess they’re kind of a big deal up here. Apparently, there’s even a Utica Greens Fest to celebrate these delicious greens. Clearly, I am no expert on this dish. I know very little of its history or traditional recipe, if there is one, and my only experience with tasting them was during that dinner at Delmonico’s. I tried cooking them once before, following a recipe I found online, but was less than satisfied with the results. So, I’ve decided to create my own version of this Central New York favorite. And, they’re good!

Spicy Utica Greens

Ingredients

  • 12 cups Escarole, rinsed and chopped (It sounds like a lot, but it will reduce significantly.)
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 Red Cherry Peppers, seeds removed, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Prosciutto, chopped
  • 1/3 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 cup Grated Asiago Cheese (or Parmesan blend)
  • 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

Directions

Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Place the chopped escarole in the boiling water and simmer for 3 minutes.  The escarole will be bright green and wilted. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set the escarole aside and dry out the pot. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in the pot, over medium heat. Add the prosciutto to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper to the pot and cook for a few more minutes. Try not to eat it at this stage, because it’s going to smell really, really good.

Add the escarole and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add a little more than half of the bread crumbs and cheese. Stir. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining bread crumbs and cheese.  Place in the oven and cook for about 5 minutes, until the cheese and breads crumbs are lightly browned. Serve as a side with steak or chicken.

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Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella Caprese

Posted on June 15, 2010 by amydeline

Were you worried that this was going to be another strawberry recipe??? Don’t worry, we’re all strawberry’d out for now. Today, I’m thinking tomatoes!

On a warm, late spring day, nothing beats a fresh Caprese salad drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinaigrette. It just might be my perfect warm-weather lunch!! Throw in some beautiful, ripe heirloom tomatoes and it’s even better!

There’s no big secret of a recipe here!  Slice up some ripe tomatoes and a bit of fresh mozzarella.  Add a few basil leaves and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.  Check out my basic balsamic vinaigrette recipe here.

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Amy vs. Baked Alaska – The Showdown

Posted on June 9, 2010 by amydeline

A tumbleweed rolls across my kitchen floor. A strange man sits at the table, whistling ominously on a stout brown jug. I step into the room, spurs glimmering. A pair of wooden saloon doors swing closed behind me with a screech. (Funny…I don’t remember installing those doors.) I tip my hat and glare at my adversary.

**Flashback twenty or so years.** A gawky teenager, dressed in leggings with slouch socks and gleaming white faux-Keds, moves easily about the kitchen. Her side-pony sways with every movement. A well worn Better Homes and Gardens Dessert cookbook, circa 1973, sits open on the counter. Bolstered with confidence after the roaring success of the previous week’s Lemon Meringue Pie, she is busy preparing Baked Alaska, never pausing for a moment to consider what lie ahead.

My adversary stands before me, dressed in gleaming white. It snickers, taunting me. I stick my tongue out and make a sour face. My weapon is drawn.

Cyndi Lauder blares in the background as the eager teen approaches the open oven, her fluffy, white creation in hand. She pops it in the oven and dances awkwardly about the kitchen for a few minutes.  The timer beeps. She bounces over to the oven, opens the door, and shrieks. Her siblings come running into the kitchen.

I belt out my battle cry and approach the snickering adversary. I take it in my hands and approach the piping hot oven. Not this time!  Not this time! I place it in the oven and close the door.

The teen and her siblings stare in horror at the tray of melted ice cream. It looks nothing like the picture in the cookbook. A single tear falls from the teen’s hazel eyes.

After five eternal minutes, I open the oven and…

My Baked Alaska

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska

Here’s how it’s done…

The Cake

You can use just about any flavor or type of cake for the base of the Baked Alaska. A giant cookie or brownie base would probably work nicely too!  I went searching for a dark chocolate cake recipe for my Baked Alaska. I landed upon a truly fantastic recipe from Hershey’s for Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.  This is probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I will definitely be using this cake recipe for future birthday cakes! I made one 9 inch round cake for my base and several cupcakes for the kids to make their own mini Baked Alaskas.

Mise en place - Everything in its place

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Chocolatey Cake and Cupcakes

The Ice Cream

You can use any flavor(s) of ice cream in your Baked Alaska.  To prepare the ice cream, spray the inside of a bowl with Pam or lightly coat with vegetable oil. Then, line the bowl with plastic wrap.  This step will make it easier to remove the ice cream dome. Allow the ice cream to soften slightly.  Then, spread the ice cream in an even layer on the bottom of the bowl, being certain to fill all gaps.  Place the bowl in the freezer until the ice cream has refrozen. If using more than one flavor, freeze each layer before adding the next flavor. I layered dark chocolate ice cream with fresh raspberries, raspberry sorbet, and milk chocolate ice cream.

Raspberry Sorbet Layer

Waiting for the ice cream

The Meringue

Meringue is a mixture of egg whites and sugar, beaten until thick and glossy. Cream of tartar is frequently added as a stabilizer, but is not absolutely necessary. Egg whites should be beaten to soft peaks before incorporating the sugar.

A few tips for a successful meringue:

  • Bowl and whisk should be pristinely clean as even the slightest bit of residual fat can prevent the whites from developing.
  • Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowls will all work well.
  • Make sure that no trace of yolk enters the mix. Crack each egg into a ramekin or small bowl first, so if a yolk breaks, you won’t waste the whole batch.
  • Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature before beating.
  • Before beating, add 1/8 tsp of Cream of Tartar per egg white to help stabilize the whipped whites.
  • Beat the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form.
  • Use about (but no less than) 2 Tbsp of sugar per egg white.
  • If possible, use superfine sugar as it will dissolve more easily into the egg whites.
  • Gradually add sugar a spoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks will hold their shape. The meringue should be smooth and glossy.

Soft Peaks

Stiff Peaks

** I used 8 whites, 1 tsp cream of tartar, and 16 Tbsp sugar, which made enough meringue to thoroughly cover my large Baked Alaska and two of the kids’ Baked Alaska cupcakes.

The Assembly

Once the cake is baked and the ice cream is thoroughly frozen, carefully turn the bowl over and lower the ice cream dome on top of the cake. I scooped out a shallow bed for the ice cream dome to sit in, in the hopes that it would provide a better insulating seal for the meringue. This step may not be necessary, but it worked! Once the ice cream cake is assembled, allow it to freeze until very firm. I left mine in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the meringue.  Working quickly, coat the ice cream and the cake thoroughly in meringue, being careful to spread the meringue to every edge. You can use a knife or the back of a spoon to create decorative designs in your meringue.

Cake with a shallow bed for the ice cream

Cake with Ice Cream

The Final Baking

Bake on the lower rack of a 450 degree oven for 5-6 minutes until the exterior begins to brown.

Serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve. It holds well in the freezer.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska with Raspberry Coulis

A few other notes and tips…

  • Make sure your meringue thoroughly coats the ice cream and cake.  This is the most important part (and probably the aspect which caused my failure so many years ago). The meringue is what insulates the ice cream from the heat.
  • Make your ice cream dome with a smaller diameter than your cake.  Most recipes don’t mention this, but I think it helps to prevent melting.
  • Inspired by this link, shared by a friend, my kids made their own mini Baked Alaskas.  I used extra batter from the cake to make a few cupcakes.  Then, we scooped out the center and filled it with softened Raspberry Sorbet.  They coated their Alaskas with the extra meringue.  Then, I put them in the oven for 5 minutes at 450 degrees.  Worked out great, just make sure you help your kids thoroughly cover the entire cupcake.
  • I served my Baked Alaska with a Raspberry Coulis.  A coulis, (pronounced koo-LEE) is simply a sauce made by pureeing fruit or vegetables and straining.  For my sauce, I pureed a handful of raspberries with a Tbps of sugar. Then, I strained the puree and discarded the seeds.

Don't mess with this cowboy!

So, did anyone else try your own Baked Alaska??  I know at least one of you did and with grand success! Anyone else?  Tell us how it went!

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Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Culinary Techniques, Desserts, Food, Fruit, General Rambling and Such, Ice Cream, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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The Gourmand Mom

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