DESSERTS
IS IT EVEN CHRISTMAS WITHOUT AN OUTRAGEOUSLY GLAMOROUS DESSERT? NO ORDINARY CREATION, THIS ICE CREAM CAKE IS ALL ABOUT THE BILLOWING MERINGUE READY TO LIGHT UP THE NIGHT
NOUGAT CARAMEL BOMBE ALASKA TREE
SERVES 8
Begin this recipe 1 day ahead. You will need a sugar thermometer, a kitchen blowtorch, cardboard and duct tape. Measure the inside height of your freezer to make sure the tree will fit, and cut cardboard to fit. We created a 35cm-tall cone with a 23cm-wide base, using a 50cm square of cardboard. Alternatively, you can use a 5L pudding mould.
4L vanilla ice cream, softened
200g good-quality almond nougat (rice paper removed), chopped
½ cup (80g) toasted almonds, chopped
¼ cup (35g) dulce de leche
250g amaretti morbidi (soft amaretti biscuits that stay soft when frozen – substitute Madeira cake)
60g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
ITALIAN MERINGUE
3 eggwhites, at room temperature
¾ cup (185g) caster sugar
Line cardboard with baking paper or plastic wrap and glue or tape together to seal. Roll the cardboard into a cone, with the baking paper on the inside, so the base is about 23cm wide and the height fits in your freezer. Seal the edge with tape. Tape the inside seam down. Place cone with the tip facing down in a large vase (ensure vase and cone can fit in freezer). Combine ice cream, nougat and almonds in a bowl. In 4 batches, spoon ice cream mixture into the cone, dolloping teaspoons of dulce de leche between the layers. Smooth the top and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.
Place amaretti in a food processor and whiz to fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse to combine. Remove cone from freezer and press biscuit mixture over the top of the ice cream to create an even layer. Return to freezer and freeze overnight.
When ready to serve, remove cardboard cone from ice cream and return ice cream, standing upright, to the freezer.
For the Italian meringue, place eggwhites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Place sugar and ¼ cup (60ml) water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until 121°C on a sugar thermometer. At this
