Baked Alaska yule log. Its filled with dark chocolate and amaretto ice cream, then wrapped in a layer of sponge and covered with toasted meringue.

I thought i better squeeze in one last holiday recipe before the big day.

This one is great as it can be made in advance and left in the freezer, then all you have to do is torch it or pop it in the oven.

However for best results, make the meringue fresh on the day.

My grandma suggested i make a dessert for Christmas day that could be frozen, and i had the idea for this Baked Alaska yule log.

I love amaretto and it pairs wonderfully with chocolate.

I have also made it with white chocolate and it was just as delicious.

Its a great dessert to make as the whole thing can be make in advance and then just quickly torched or baked to toast the meringue before serving.

I made some little mushrooms out of modelling chocolate and painted them with some cocoa powder and melted cocoa butter.

There is even some gingerbread branches made with some left over dough.

Baked Alaska yule log

I have used some home made dark chocolate amaretto ice cream, but this can easily be made with shop bought ice cream.

Just let it soften a bit to you can shape it like a log

I would suggest making the meringue fresh on the day if possible but you can freeze it.

We have put left overs in the freezer and had it the next day and it was still delicious.

Chocolate and amaretto ice cream baked alaska yule log

chocolate and amaretto ice cream, wrapped in sponge and covered in toasted meringue

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Servings: 8

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: european

Chocolate and amaretto ice cream

200 grams caster sugar
300 ml double cream
300 ml whole milk
3 tbsp cocoa powder
100 grams dark chocolate chopped (180g in total) Plus 80g finely chopped to add in later
4 egg yolks
25 ml amaretto
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 tsp flaked salt

For the sponge

For the meringue

For the ice cream

Add the milk, cream, cocoa powder and vanilla in a pan and stir over a medium heat
In a bowl whisk together the sugar and egg yolks,
pour some of the hot liquid over the egg mixture while whisking constantly then pour back into the pan and continue to whisk.
Add 100g of chocolate and the salt and keep whisking until the mixture thickens a little like custard and coats the back of the spoon
Add the amaretto and taste, add more salt or amaretto if you like
Cover with some plastic wrap placed touching the surface of the custard and chill over night in the fridge, or use the pre chill function on the ice cream machine
Churn in an ice cream machine, and add in the 80g chopped chunks of chocolate
line a loaf tin with plastic wrap and pour in, try and shape like a sausage. (you can let it firm up for a bit to make it easier.

Make sponge

preheat oven to 180c fan. line a swiss roll sized shallow baking tray
whisk the eggs and sugar at high speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and tripled in size.
add the vanilla and mix, then sift in the flour and fold in using a spatula until combined trying not to knock too much air out.
pour into tin and bake for 10 minutes
lay a sheet of baking paper on the side and dust with powdered sugar, while the cake is still warm, tip it out onto the paper and peel of the baking paper on top.
let cool
remove ice cream from freezer and roll on the work top to make it in a cylinder shape, then wrap the sponge around it, cover with plastic wrap and place back in the freezer while you make the meringue.

meringue

In a clean dry bowl add the egg whites and start whisking at high speed until peaks start to form
add the sugar a little at a time then turn up to high speed and whip for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
take some of the meringue and place in a piping bag with a star nozzle, spread on the rest, completely covering it.
pipe the ends to look like the rings of a log and then add some lines of meringue on top. use a fork to add more bark texture.
now blow touch it or bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 5 minutes. serve immediately.
(you can assemble the baked Alaska with the meringue and keep in the freezer in advance and then bake it or torch it just before serving.) However best results are with meringue made fresh on the day.
left overs can be frozen too.