Rainbow Room Baked Alaska

Source: Taste of Life Show #TL1A11 New York Ci - from Kurt Walrath, The Rainbow Room, The G.E. Building, New York, New York

Dacquoise:
1/4 cup finely ground hazelnuts
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
12 ounces egg whites

Cake:
6 plastic containers ( approximately
    3 inches high x 5 inches wide)
White sponge cake (use any standard recipe)
1/4 cup praline ice cream**
1/4 cup raspberry sorbet**
3/4 cup chocolate chip ice cream**
2 meringue disks (Dacquoise, recipe follows)

Meringue:
6 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Berries:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces raspberries
4 ounces blueberries
8 ounces strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup brandy

For Dacquoise: Sift nuts with 3/4 cup sugar. Hold aside. Whip egg whites until foamy. Fold in nut mixture by hand. Pipe out circles onto prepared parchment paper (trace outline of container). Bake in 250 degrees F oven until dry (around 30 minutes).

For Cake Mold: Place a circle of sponge cake cut to fit bottom of plastic container. Mound softened praline ice cream on top of it. Place meringue disk on top of ice cream. Mound softened raspberry sorbet on top. Place second meringue disk on top of sorbet. Mound softened chocolate ice cream on top. Finish with another circle of sponge cake cut to fit the plastic container. Freeze 12 hours in container.

Remove frozen cake mold by turning it upside down on plate. Prepare meringue mixture by whipping egg whites with sugar until stiff. Place meringue in a pastry bag with a number 4 star tip. Cover cake with meringue. Freeze cake for one hour.

Bake cake in a preheated 500 degree F oven for one minute (until lightly browned).

Heat the brandy in small pot and ignite. Pour brandy over Baked Alaska and serve with berries on the side.

Yield: 6 servings

*A small butter or margarine container may be used

** At The Rainbow Room, they make their own ice cream and sorbets, but any good quality ice cream or sorbet may be used.