In the kitchen with Sharon this week is our very own Tim Collvier. Tim and I are always talking about cooking and recipes and he has the neatest recipes. I have always wanted Baked Alaska, but it looked way too complicated. Tim said, “I have a great recipe and I will make you one. Of course, I said yes.
Well, it’s Monday morning and in walks Tim with guess what? You guessed it — Baked Alaska. Yay! I am getting ready to sample it because it looks so delicious. I will report back next week to let you know how it was, but as you can see in the picture I took, it looks fantastic.
If anyone has a favorite recipe, please send it to us, with a photo, and I will put you in my column. I am looking forward to hearing from you. You can reach me at [email protected] or call 937-393-3456.
Editor’s note — The following was written by Times-Gazette reporter Tim Colliver about his Baked Alaska.
Of all the recipes we’ve shared in Sharon’s column, this is the first one that was at one time a Colliver family tradition for my birthday. And because of that, the occasion has to be special for me to share something my mother made for my birthday every year up until her death in 2002.
During summer vacation from school, the TV set in the living room at 9 a.m. was a curious mix between “Uncle Al” on Channel 9, “The Paul Dixon Show” on Channel 5 or “The Galloping Gourmet” on Channel 12. Between 1969 and 1971, Graham Kerr literally galloped across his TV kitchen on WKRC-TV, mixing in a lot of double-entendre jokes with exotic recipes, all the while taking a “short slurp” of whatever adult beverage he was enjoying during that day’s taping.
During one particular dinner menu, he showed how to make his version of a desert called “Baked Alaska” and after Mom surprised me with one for my birthday, I was hooked, and no matter what town I was at or what part of the radio dial I was on, I could always count on one of Mom’s Baked Alaska’s.
The last one she made for me was when she was battling cervical cancer, and the war wasn’t going well. Since I was working in Dayton and so were her cancer treatments, she came to stay with us in mid-December so I could drop her off at the hospital while I went to work, bringing her back home with me in early afternoon.
After one particularly grueling session, she was weak, shaking and pale, but still insisted on keeping the annual tradition alive. This time, however, she walked me through how to make it while she sat at the kitchen table. It wasn’t that complicated a process as you’ll see, but I’ll never forget that afternoon where we laughed and played in the kitchen … and came to terms with what we both suspected was the inevitable.
I preached her funeral nine months later. Now you can see why this is a desert reserved for only the most special of occasions.
You’ll need:
Your favorite cake mix
One-half gallon of your favorite ice cream
4 eggs (use only the whites)
½ teaspoon cream of tarter
1 cup white sugar
Mix up your favorite cake mix, following the directions on the box and pour the batter into a deep, 9-inch by 13-inch greased baking dish. After baking, let it cool and put it into the deep freeze until frozen.
Remove your favorite ice cream flavor from the freezer and let thaw and soften. Take the frozen cake from the freezer, spread the ice cream over top of the cake and when through, place it back into the freezer until frozen solid.
Before removing the cake/ice cream from the freezer, prepare to make meringue. Place only the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and let set at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. Put in cream of tartar and using an electric mixer, blend on high for about a minute until the egg whites are foamy. Spoon in the sugar about a quarter cup at a time while continuing to mix. Beat on high until it begins to take on an almost white, glassy appearance. Continue to beat on high until it becomes thick enough to form peaks with a spoon.
Preheat the oven (yes, this frozen concoction is going into the oven) to 350 degrees. Spread meringue completely over the top of the cake/ice cream, making sure it touches the inside edges of the baking dish. Place into the oven and let bake until the meringue is set and the peaks take on a golden brown appearance, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let “cool” for a few minutes and serve. The meringue will be set ‘n sweet, and the ice cream and cake should be thawed enough to cut into individual servings.
Sharon Hughes is the advertising manager at The Times-Gazette. She is also a mother, grandmother and chef.
