The holidays are a time of peace and brotherly love and all that good stuff, but for me, they're all about baked blizzards! To appreciate this dessert, you have to have the "buffet mentality." If you're the kind of person who appreciates having 32 different pleasures laid out on a steaming hot table waiting to be sampled, then this dessert is definitely for you. Although it's not made up of several dozen different ingredients, the baked blizzard does contain some good treats jam-packed into a ramekin and baked.
What makes this dessert so appealing is the contrast of hot and cold. The ice cream in the middle is insulated on the bottom by vanilla wafers, and on top by fresh, fluffy meringue made from sugar and egg whites. Unlike that sloppy plate of fried ice cream you get at Mexican restaurants, the Baked Blizzard is a refined and artful dessert.
Although this dessert may appear difficult to make, it's actually quite simple. The test recipe I made tonight only took me 20 minutes from start to mouth. You can also tweak this recipe by using your favorite ice cream, and instead of vanilla wafers, you can line the bottom of the ramekins with cake, cookies or even leftover donuts.
Baked Blizzards
Makes 6 servings
Equipment Needed:
Electric mixer or wire whisk
6 small ramekins
Ingredients:
3 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/2 to 1 cup of white sugar (the less sugar used, the stiffer the meringue will be)
6 scoops of your favorite ice cream (I used Cookies 'n' Cream)
12 vanilla wafers
Red and green sugar crystals (or sprinkles)
Instructions:
1. The first thing you're going to do is make the meringue using the sugar and egg whites. Two tips for successful meringue are a) make sure the egg whites are at room temperature, and b) make sure no egg yolks (or any fat or oil) comes in contact with the egg whites, as it will make it hard for the meringue to become fluffy and stiff.
2. Put the egg whites and half the sugar in a clean bowl. Whisk or beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add the rest of the sugar, and mix to the consistency of shaving cream. When the meringue is done, you should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the meringue should not fall out — but if you're not the gambling type, it's much easier to test it with your fingers!
3. Take two vanilla wafers and crush them on the bottom of the ramekin with your fingers. Then, fill the rest of the ramekin with ice cream. This can be done just before step #5, or you can do it ahead of time and keep the ramekins in the freezer the night before.
4. Pre-heat the oven on Broil or set it at 500 degrees. For best results I use a toaster oven set to broil with the top heating elements red-hot.
5. Scoop some of the meringue on top of the ramekin and make sure it covers all the ice cream. The meringue will insulate the ice cream from the oven's heat and prevent it from melting while the meringue browns.
6. Put the ramekins in the oven and broil just until the meringue turns golden brown on top. This should only take a few minutes in a large oven, or a few seconds in a toaster oven. Do not take your eyes off them while they're in the oven. Take them out as soon as they get golden brown — they can burn easily. Sprinkle with the colored sugar and serve immediately.
This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2011.