Individual Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaskas
- 4 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 whole large eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Raspberry ice cream , slightly softened
- 8 large egg whites
- Special equipment: 6 (8-oz) shallow ceramic or glass gratin dishes
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, then line bottom with wax paper and butter paper.
- Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring, until smooth.
- Remove bowl from pan and whisk 3/4 cup sugar into chocolate mixture.
- Whisk in whole eggs and salt, then sift cocoa over and whisk until just combined.
- Pour batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.
- Cut cake into 6 equal pieces, then arrange 1 piece in each gratin dish, trimming to fit.
- Top each piece of cake with a large scoop of ice cream (about 1/2 cup), then freeze, covered, just until ice cream is hard, about 25 minutes (do not let ice cream become rock hard unless making ahead see cooks' note, below).
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer until they just hold soft peaks.
- Add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed, and continue beating until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 5 minutes in a standing mixer or about 12 minutes with a handheld.
- Remove gratin dishes from freezer and mound meringue over ice cream and cake, spreading to edge of gratin dish.
- Bake on a baking sheet in middle of oven until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
bittersweet chocolate, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, salt, cocoa, raspberry ice cream, egg whites, shallow ceramic
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/individual-chocolate-raspberry-baked-alaskas-106541 (may not work)