Name: Baked Alaska Strawberry Ice Cream Pie Recipe
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 3 cups sliced strawberries; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 (8-ounce) piece pound cake, edges trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices; 3 pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened; 6 egg whites; 1 1/3 cups sugar; 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

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By Abby Mandel

May 30, 2001

Classic summer desserts are so versatile. They can follow almost any type of dinner, whether casual, festive, formal or down-home barbecue. They’re always a hit.

Here are a couple that I turn to regularly. What’s nice about them is that no baking is required. That means you can keep the kitchen somewhat cool as the weather starts getting warm. (And both desserts are served chilled, so they’ll be a cool delight for your guests.) The pie can be prepared up to five days ahead of serving, and the Bavarian cream up to a day ahead.

Strawberry sauce

3 cups sliced strawberries

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the strawberries, sugar and vanilla in a bowl about 3 hours before serving. Gently toss until mixed. Let sit at room temperature.

Pie

1 (8-ounce) piece pound cake, edges trimmed, cut into ¼-inch thick slices

3 pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

6 egg whites

1 ⅓ cups sugar

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pound cake slices, very slightly overlapping. Use plastic wrap to flatten the cake with your hands and compact it into the plate. Trim the top edges as needed. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours.

Spoon the ice cream into the frozen cake shell. Smooth the top, shaping it into a dome. Freeze until hard, 2 hours.

Use a mixer with a whisk to beat the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar to stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread the meringue over the hard ice cream; swirl with a spoon to make a decorative pattern. Alternately, spread a 1/2-inch thick layer of meringue over the hard ice cream; smooth with a long spatula. Then spoon the remaining meringue into a pastry bag with a large star tip; decorate the top with large rosettes.

Place a rack about 7 inches under the broiler element; heat the broiler.

Broil the pie until the meringue is golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, use a propane torch. Freeze the pie 1 hour. (This can be kept frozen and covered loosely with plastic wrap up to 5 days.)

To serve, take the pie from the freezer 20 minutes before serving. Cut into wedges. Pass the sauce separately.

A purchased pound cake works just fine in this recipe.