Family-style Baked Alaska: Retro Ad with Recipe for Baked Alaska Day

This Retro Ad & Recipe for Family-Style Baked Alaska is perfect for today's food holiday--National Baked Alaska Day. For ingredients, you can always update the recipe by making your own chocolate cake and your own ice cream, but take a look at this Betty Crocker Ad with recipe. It's easy to make and still delicious!

BAKED ALASKA BROWNIES! It's the Bombe!

Today is Baked Alaska Day. This Retro dessert is making a major comeback, and I've seen it on several restaurants in San Francisco, New York, L.A. and Chicago. This dessert originated at New York City’s Delmonico’s restaurant to commemorate the United States’ purchase of Alaska in 1867. Baked Alaska is an ice-cream cake covered with an igloo of toasted meringue. It's a real show stopper!

Following is an easy and delicious recipe from Betty Crocker. This version consists of an ice cream dome on a brownie base, topped with meringue. 

No time to bake? Ben & Jerry's used to make Baked Alaska Ice Cream, but you can always make this simple Baked Alaska Sundae using their ice cream. 

Want to spend more time, check out Martha Stewart's Baked Alaska with Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Ice Cream. It's the Bombe!

Baked Alaska Brownies!

Ingredients

Ice Cream Dome 
2 cups (1 pint) peppermint ice cream, softened
6 cups (1.5 quarts) mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
6 cups (1.5 quarts) vanilla ice cream, softened

Brownie Base
1 cup butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Merinque
8 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar

Directions

Line 3 (or 4) quart bowl (with 9 inch circumference) with plastic wrap. Fill base of bowl with peppermint ice cream; layer with mint chocolate chip ice cream, then finish with a layer of vanilla ice cream. Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream is very hard, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in advance.

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.

Place butter and chocolate in medium glass bowl over saucepan of hot water (or use double boiler) and stir butter and chocolate until melted. Set aside to cool

In separate large bowl, whisk  eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add cooled chocolate mixture to eggs and whisk to combine. Add flour to chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into cake pan. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

When brownie is completely cool, about 1 hour, turn brownie out onto large flat, ovenproof plate. Unmold ice cream dome on top of brownie layer. Place back in freezer.

With electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Increase speed to high and add sugar in slow stream until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Remove ice cream dome from freezer. Remove plastic wrap. Cover ice cream dome with meringue, covering completely, using back of spoon to make swirly peaks. Freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Heat oven to 500°F. Bake for 2 minutes or until peaks start to turn a golden brown color.

For easier slicing, let cake stand for 20 minutes. Slice and serve. 

Family-Style Baked Alaska: Retro Ad with Recipe for Baked Alaska Day

This Retro Ad & Recipe for Family-Style Baked Alaska is perfect for today's food holiday--National Baked Alaska Day. For ingredients, you can always update the recipe by making your own chocolate cake and your own ice cream, but take a look at this Betty Crocker Ad with recipe. It's easy to make and still delicious!

BROWNIE BAKED ALASKA: IT'S THE BOMBE!

Today is Baked Alaska Day. This Retro dessert is making a major comeback, and I've seen it on several restaurants in San Francisco, New York, L.A. and Chicago. This dessert originated at New York City’s Delmonico’s restaurant to commemorate the United States’ purchase of Alaska in 1867. Baked Alaska is an ice-cream cake covered with an igloo of toasted meringue. It's a real show stopper!

Following is an easy and delicious recipe from Betty Crocker. This version consists of an ice cream dome on a brownie base, topped with meringue. No time to bake? Pick up a pint of Ben & Jerry's Baked Alaska. Want to spend more time, check out Martha Stewart's Baked Alaska with Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Ice Cream. It's the Bombe!

Brownie Baked Alaska!

Ingredients

Ice Cream Dome 
2 cups (1 pint) peppermint ice cream, softened
6 cups (1.5 quarts) mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
6 cups (1.5 quarts) vanilla ice cream, softened

Brownie Base
1 cup butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Merinque
8 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar

Directions

Line 3 (or 4) quart bowl (with 9 inch circumference) with plastic wrap. Fill base of bowl with peppermint ice cream; layer with mint chocolate chip ice cream, then finish with a layer of vanilla ice cream. Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream is very hard, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in advance.

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
Place butter and chocolate in medium glass bowl over saucepan of hot water (or use double boiler) and stir butter and chocolate until melted. Set aside to cool
In separate large bowl, whisk  eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add cooled chocolate mixture to eggs and whisk to combine. Add flour to chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into cake pan. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
When brownie is completely cool, about 1 hour, turn brownie out onto large flat, ovenproof plate. Unmold ice cream dome on top of brownie layer. Place back in freezer.
With electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Increase speed to high and add sugar in slow stream until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Remove ice cream dome from freezer. Remove plastic wrap. Cover ice cream dome with meringue, covering completely, using back of spoon to make swirly peaks. Freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
Heat oven to 500°F. Bake for 2 minutes or until peaks start to turn a golden brown color.
For easier slicing, let cake stand for 20 minutes. Slice and serve. 

CHOCOLATE BEAR CLAW: Guest Post by Camille Minichino

CAMILLE MINICHINO: 
CHOCOLATE BEAR CLAW

Charlie Cooke is the owner of the Bear Claw Diner in the new series, the Alaska Diner Mysteries by Elizabeth Logan. Her biggest crime in the first book, Mousse and Murder, is trying to change the old bear claw recipe to include chocolate. This and the ensuing argument with her head chef is enough to make her a suspect when he’s found murdered. I wish you better luck! Elizabeth Logan is the fifth pen name of Camille Minichino over the course of more than two dozen books. All names and titles can be found at www.minichino.com.

Chocolate Bear Claw Recipe – Camille Minichino

(The pastry dough is the most time-consuming part of the recipe. For a quicker fix, use ready made pastry dough such as refrigerated crescent dough sheets.)

From scratch:

Pastry Ingredients:

•    1-1/2 cups cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•    5 cups all-purpose flour

•    1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

•    1-1/4 cups half-and-half 

•    1/4 cup sugar

•    1/4 tsp salt

•  1 egg

Pastry Directions:

1. Mix butter with 3 cups of flour until well coated.

2. Combine yeast and remaining 2 cups flour.

3. In a saucepan, heat half-and-half, sugar, and salt. Add to yeast mixture. Beat until smooth.

4. Stir in butter mixture just until moistened.

5. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. 

6. Cut dough in half lengthwise to make two 4-inch wide strips.  Refrigerate.

Filling Ingredients:

•  2/3 cup almond paste

•  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

•    1 tsp ground cinnamon

•    1/4 tsp salt

•    1 tsp vanilla extract

•    2  egg whites

Filling Directions:

1. Break the almond paste into pieces and place almond paste, chocolate, cinnamon, salt and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until mixture is crumbly.

2. Add egg whites and beat until mixture is smooth. 

Combining Directions:

•    1 egg

•    Almond slices

1. Use a spatula to spread the filling on each half of the dough. Roll dough over filling and cut each roll into equal size sections, usually 8 pieces total.
2. Place pastries seam-side down on a baking sheet. Make 4 cuts on one side of each pastry, extending at least 1inch into the pastry to create "fingers." Curve the pastry into a slight arch to separate the fingers. Cover tray loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
3. Preheat oven to 400 ℉. Beat whole egg in a small bowl and brush each pastry with egg. Place one almond half or sliced almond onto each finger to form a claw.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow bear claws to cool on a wire rack before serving.

NEW ROUTE TO ALASKA: Family-style Baked Alaska for Baked Alaska Day!

This Retro Ad & Recipe for Family Style Baked Alaska is perfect for today's food holiday--National Baked Alaska Day. For ingredients, you can always update the recipe by making your own chocolate cake and your own ice cream, but take a look at this Betty Crocker Ad with recipe. It's easy to make and still delicious!

BROWNIE BAKED ALASKA: IT'S THE BOMBE!

Today is Baked Alaska Day. This Retro dessert is making a major comeback, and I've seen it on the menus of several restaurants in San Francisco, New York, L.A. and Chicago. This dessert originated at New York City’s Delmonico’s restaurant to commemorate the United States’ purchase of Alaska in 1867. Baked Alaska is an ice-cream cake covered with an igloo of toasted meringue. It's a real show stopper!

Following is an easy and delicious recipe from Betty Crocker. This version consists of an ice cream dome on a brownie base, topped with meringue. No time to bake? Pick up a pint of Ben & Jerry's Baked Alaska. Want to spend more time, don't miss Martha Stewart's Baked Alaska with Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Ice Cream. It's the Bombe!

Brownie Baked Alaska!

Ingredients

Ice Cream Dome 
2 cups (1 pint) peppermint ice cream, softened
6 cups (1.5 quarts) mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
6 cups (1.5 quarts) vanilla ice cream, softened

Brownie Base
1 cup butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Merinque
8 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar

Directions

Line 3 (or 4) quart bowl (with 9 inch circumference) with plastic wrap. Fill base of bowl with peppermint ice cream; layer with mint chocolate chip ice cream, then finish with a layer of vanilla ice cream. Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream is very hard, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in advance.

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
Place butter and chocolate in medium glass bowl over saucepan of hot water (or use double boiler) and stir butter and chocolate until melted. Set aside to cool
In separate large bowl, whisk  eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add cooled chocolate mixture to eggs and whisk to combine. Add flour to chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into cake pan. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
When brownie is completely cool, about 1 hour, turn brownie out onto large flat, ovenproof plate. Unmold ice cream dome on top of brownie layer. Place back in freezer.
With electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Increase speed to high and add sugar in slow stream until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Remove ice cream dome from freezer. Remove plastic wrap. Cover ice cream dome with meringue, covering completely, using back of spoon to make swirly peaks. Freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
Heat oven to 500°F. Bake for 2 minutes or until peaks start to turn a golden brown color.
For easier slicing, let cake stand for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.