Serves 4 - 6
Here’s a super fun and dramatic way to show your love this Valentine's Day. Triple Chocolate Brownie and creamy White Chocolate Pomegranate Macadamia ice cream wrapped up in a billowy meringue, then set on fire to create a caramelised flavour that no blow torch can mimic.
Although there’s a bit of process involved in making this show stopper, Farro (and most independent delicatessens) have everything you need to make the ‘cooking’ of this dish super simple.
Secret Kiwi Kitchen's Triple Fudge Brownie Mix creates a crunchy, decadent, gooey chocolate brownie that takes less than 5 minutes, in one bowl from start to oven! Fear not the packet mix, this is as good as the best brownies we’ve tasted. You don’t want the brownie to be too gooey for this dish so make sure to cook it for 25 minutes and let it cool in the pan. It will continue cooking for longer as the pan holds heat for longer than a baking dish.
We love Duck Island Ice Cream, there’s always so much choice. We chose the White Chocolate Pomegranate Macadamia ice cream and added additional fresh raspberries but at the end of the day, the ice cream choice is yours!
Little Beauty Freeze Dried Boysenberries are a taste and crunch sensation. With all the flavour of a fresh boysenberry, they add a glorious finishing crunch.
And Pink Peppercorns... O M G. Delicate, thin skinned and spicy, they too add the most lovely crunch and excite the taste buds with their fruity heat. Add more or less depending on your love of spice. As they are so delicate, there’s no need to use a pepper grinder. I like the explosion of the full peppercorn so I just rub them between my fingers, but if you like you can crush them with the handle of a knife or use a pestle and mortar.
THE BROWNIE
1 packet Secret Kiwi Kitchen Triple Fudge Brownie Mix
4 eggs
170 g butter, melted
1 T vanilla essence
1 T butter and 1 T cocoa to prepare pan
THE ICE CREAM
1 470g punnet Duck Island White Chocolate Pomegranate Macadamia ice cream
½ punnet fresh raspberries
THE MERINGUE
3 egg whites
150 g caster sugar
1 T vanilla essence
Pinch salt
TO FLAMBÉ
4 T spirit of your choice (I used Waiheke Distilling Co. Red Ruby Gin)
TO SERVE
Little Beauty dried boysenberries
Pomegranate jewels
Pink pepper corns
BROWNIE METHOD
Liberally butter your Legacy Pan, then dust with sieved cocoa powder.
Heat oven to 180°C.
To make the brownie, beat eggs until pale and ribbony then add the cooled melted butter and vanilla essence.
Sprinkle in the brownie mix and beat until well combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared Ironclad Legacy Pan, even out the top and bake for 25 minutes.
Let it cool, covered, overnight.
TO ASSEMBLE
Take a container of your choice with a volume of 3 cups. I used my grandson’s sand castle bucket. You could use a small bowl or a Jimbo's container. It won't go in the oven so you can use plastic.
Line your container of choice with tin foil and spray lightly with oil.
Cut the brownie in half and slice one half into 9 segments. You’ll use 7 to line the vessel.
Press a slice of brownie, pointy end up, onto the tin foil. Press the sticky bottom of the brownie to the tin foil, rather than the crisp top. Press quite firmly so it sticks to the tinfoil.
Place the second piece of brownie, pointy side down, next to the first slice and continue until you have lined the inside. Pack extra brownie into the bottom of the vessel.
Layer the ice cream into the brownie lined container with fresh raspberries and fill right to the top.
Take a small plate the same size as the top of the container to use as a template to cut around the brownie and create the lid.
Press the brownie lid on top of the ice cream and press down well against the edges of the brownie lining to ensure no ice cream can escape. We will now call this the Alaska!
Freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight in a very cold freezer. I turned up the cool factor in our freezer to high.
Once it's frozen solid, remove the Alaska from the fridge. Carefully trim off the top of the frozen brownie so it will sit flat in your Legacy Pan.
Slide a sharp knife around the edge of the tinfoil to loosen. Remove the tinfoil and return the Alaska to the freezer until you're ready to anoint with meringue.
Heat oven to 220°C.
To make the meringue, whip egg whites until soft then slowly add sugar 1 T at a time. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, whip on high speed for 3 minutes until it holds really glossy, stiff peaks. If you rub a little between your fingers you shouldn't feel any sugar granules.
Fold in the vanilla essence and get ready to work at speed!
Place 4 T meringue in a blob in the centre of your cold and lightly buttered Legacy pan.
Nestle the frozen Alaska on top of this and press down gently so it sticks to the pan.
Swiftly, using a large spatula, evenly cover the Alaska in meringue. Using a fork or smaller spatula create decorative swoops and swirls. Get your creative on!
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown all over.
FLAMBÉ METHOD
In the last minute of baking the Alaska, heat the spirit of your choice in a small saucepan over a low heat until it is just about to boil. But don’t boil it - this will burn off the alcohol that you need to create the flame.
Remove your Alaska from the oven and send it straight to your serving table.
Make sure your loved ones are gathered to witness the beauty that is about to unfold.
With a BBQ lighter or a long match, light the boiling spirit at the table and pour over the top of the Bomb Alaska.
Behold the flames. The drama!
You do need to be careful with the flames and if this feels a little bit scary then leave this step out. I’d encourage you to give it a go. Why not, life’s for living!
Scatter with pomegranate jewels, crushed boysenberries and pink pepper corns.
Slice with a hot, wet sharp knife and serve immediately! And have a lovely Valentine's Day.
*** We served and flambé’d this dish outside so that no curtains caught on fire. If serving inside ensure there is nothing flammable too close. The flames can leap rather high.
