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Baked Alaska turned Date Alaska 😋, Date & Pistachio ice cream set on a pistachio sponge covered with a cloud of meringue . I added Sahlab to the ice cream, this ingredient is often used in Arabic desserts and ice cream.
Made from the tubers of the Orchid plant, it adds flavour and improves texture, you can omit this, but it’s available online as well speciality food stores.
Date Alaska
Pistachio Sponge
2 eggs
35g ground pistachios
4 Tblsp sugar
3 1/2 Tblsp self raising flour
1 Tblsp water
Green food colour
1/2 Tblsp melted butter
Pistachio essence
Preheat the oven to 180°C, and line a small Swiss roll pan. With a hand beater beat eggs and sugar for 5min, until thick and creamy. Add the hot water slowly down the side of the bowl and continue to beat.Â
Gently fold in the ground pistachios, then fold in the sifted flour.Â
Whisk egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold into pistachio mixture, lastly mix in the pistachio essence. Spread into prepared baking pan and bake for 8 min.
Date and Pistachio Ice Cream
2 cups milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup castor sugar
260g chopped datesÂ
1 Tblsp orange blossom water
1/2 cup milk powder
 2 Tblsp sahlab
1 tsp vanilla essenceÂ
In a large saucepan, heat milk, cream, vanilla essence and sugar to lukewarm. Remove from the heat and add milk powder & sahlab, stick blend.
Return to heat and bring to a simmer, stirring.
Remove from the heat and add the dates and orange blossom water, stick blend. Refrigerate for 4hrs minimum.Â
50g chopped pistachios
60g finely chopped dates
Churn the ice cream, when almost ready add the pistachios and dates.
French Meringue
3 egg whitesÂ
3/4 cup castor sugarÂ
1/2 tsp vanilla essenceÂ
1 tsp lemon juice
Whip egg whites and lemon juice till foamy, gradually add the castor sugar and beat till stiff peaks. Add the vanilla essence and beat.
To assemble Â
French meringueÂ
Pistachio sponge discs to fit the base of your ice cream mouldÂ
Pour the ice cream into your mould, press the cut sponge onto the base of the ice cream mould, pressing down and freeze overnight.
The next day, remove from the mould and cover with meringue. Blow torch before serving.
