Ingredients
All purpose flour 1 cup
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Ground ginger 3/4 tsp
Ground cinnamon 3/4 tsp
Ground cloves 1/8 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Treacle 1/3 cup
Warm water 1/3 cup
Butter, softened 1/4 cup
Brown sugar 1/4 cup
Egg, small & at room temperature 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp
Caster sugar 1 cup
Water 200ml
Egg whites, room temperature 4
Cream of tartar 1/4 tsp
Method
Set Icecream:
- Line a large bowl or pudding basin with a 20cm diameter three layers of cling wrap. Spoon softened @motuekacreamy white chocolate raspberry ice cream into bowl, compressing down as much as possible. Cover, and place into freezer for a minimum of 3 hours to set.
Make gingerbread base:
- Preheat oven to 175˚C. Line bottom of a 20cm springform pan with baking paper and grease sides with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together treacle and warm water.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until creamed together. Next beat in egg and vanilla essence. Finally, beat in half the flour mixture, then half the treacle mixture, then repeat with remaining mixture until all ingredients have just combined to form a smooth, pourable batter.
- Pour batter into springform pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool down completely before releasing from pan.
- Remove Icecream from freezer and place gingerbread base on top. Re-cover and place back in freezer to set while you make the meringue.
Make Italian meringue:
- In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 200ml water to a boil, stirring continuously so sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium, then leave to cook without stirring until syrup reaches 115˚C.
- Meanwhile, whisk together egg whites with cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture forms soft peaks.
- Once sugar syrup reaches 120˚C, increase electric mixer to high speed and gradually pour in sugar syrup to egg white mixture. Beat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture is thick and glossy.
Compile Bombe Alaska:
- Remove bowl from freezer and uncover. Place a large plate or board on top of the bowl, then gently flip over so Icecream and base invert onto the plate. Remove plastic wrap.
- Using a spatula, spread the Italian meringue to completely cover the Icecream and base. Use a blow torch to toast meringue, then slice up and serve immediately!