Baked Christmas Alaska

Ingredients

• 450ml vanilla ice cream
• 200g Christmas pudding
• 1 8” Victoria sponge
• 4 measures brandy
• 4 egg whites
• 250g caster sugar
• 200ml stock syrup
• 50ml water

Method 

1. Slice sponge horizontally into 3.
2. Add 3 measures of brandy to the stock syrup.
3. Place one of the sponge layers on a baking tray and brush over with some of the syrup.
4. Mix ice cream and Christmas pudding together and place in the centre of the sponge, leaving 1 cm around the outside.
5. Use the remaining sponge to cover the entire Christmas pudding ice cream.  Brush with the remaining brandy syrup and place in the freezer.
6. Boil the water and sugar for 1 minute.
7. In a mixer, whisk the egg whites until at the ‘ribbon’ stage, then slowly pour in the dissolved sugar.  Whisk until peaked.
8. Place the meringue in a piping bag and pipe over the Christmas Alaska, making a little hollow at the top.
9. Bake in a hot oven at 225°C (Gas 7) for 5 minutes until brown.
10. Warm the remaining brandy, pour into the hollow at the top of the baked Alaska and ignite with a match.