Baked Alaska with Coconut Ice Cream & Passion Fruit Caramel Yields 8 servings

Baked Alaska, seldom seen on restaurant menus has been on Oleana’s since we opened in 2001. It is hot and cold, sweet and tart, crunchy and creamy all at once. It takes some planning ahead but once assembled it goes from the freezer to oven to table in 10 minutes. Coconut Ice Cream Yields 1 ½ quarts Prepare 1 day ahead 3 cups milk 2 cups cream 10 yolks 2/3 cup sugar 2 cups (6oz) sweetened flaked coconut 1 tea. Salt

1. Spread coconut in an even layer on baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown.

2. Combine milk and 1 cup of the cream in a sauce pan with toasted coconut. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and infuse 1 hour.

3. Whisk together yolks and sugar. Strain coconut infused milk in to yolks. Save whites for meringue

4. Return to heat, scraping all of the mixture into pan. Pour remaining 1 cup of cream into bowl

5. Cook coconut milk over medium heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula until thick enough to coat spatula. Pour immediately into bowl of cream; this will temper the ice cream and stop the cooking.

6. Let cool. Strain through fine mesh strainer. Add salt. Chill thoroughly at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. Macaroon Cake Yields 13 x 9 pan Cut into 8 2 ½” circles 4 egg whites 1 cup sugar 3tb honey 1 tea vanilla 3 cups (8oz) sweetened flaked coconut ½ cup flour

1. Butter a 13 x 9 inch pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees 2. Bring pot of water to boil. Combine egg whites, sugar, honey and vanilla in large

stainless bowl. Place bowl over boiling water. Whisk to dissolve sugar. When sugar is dissolved and warm to touch, remove from heat.

3. Fold in coconut and flour until combined. Spread in an even layer in prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees 22 – 24 minutes until lightly golden

4. Cool Completely. Using a 2 ½” round cutter, cut into 8 circles 5. Place macaroon circles on baking sheet or a plate that will fit in your freezer. Using a

medium ice cream scoop place a scoop pf coconut ice cream on each piece. Place in freezer for 1 hour. These can be prepared 1-2 days in advance.

Meringue 10 whites 2 cups sugar

1. Bring pan of water to boil Whisk egg whites and sugar together in stainless bowl. Place over boiling water, whisking to dissolve sugar. When egg whites are warmed through, transfer to bowl of stand up mixer.

2. Using whisk attachment, whip on medium speed until whites cool down slightly. Increase speed to high and continue beating to stiff peak about 8-10 minutes. Use immediately

3. Remove prepared ice cream from freezer. Using your hands, reach in and scoop out a handful of meringue while holding the ice cream in the other hand. Cover all of the ice cream with meringue, careful not to leave space around the cake Once entire scoop has meringue on it, use your finger tips to create points by touching whites and quickly pulling away. Meringue can also be piped onto ice cream if preferred. You can also use a spatula.

4. Return each to freezer as you complete them or meringue may begin to slide off. These unbaked alaskas can be prepared a day in advance

5. Baking Alaska’s: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place Alaskas on baking sheet. Place in oven for 5 minutes until very light brown and meringue points are darker.

6. Remove from oven, using a spatula place each on plate. At this point, we finish with a kitchen torch for a more toasted look. With flame about 3 inches away from meringue, run flame up from base to top, while turning it around. If tips catch on fire quickly blow out. Spoon passion fruit caramel around Alaska.

Passion Fruit Caramel Sauce Yields 1 ½ cups 2 cups sugar 1 1/3 cups passion fruit puree or passion fruit nectar 1 tea salt

1. Combine sugar with ½ cup water in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Increase heat and cook without stirring until mixture turns golden amber color. Remove from heat and quickly stir in passion fruit puree; the caramel will bubble up, be careful not to get hit with caramel when stirring

2. Return to low heat and stir until caramel is smooth. Add salt. Cool completely. Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance

Note: Passion fruit Nectar is easier to find than puree