It’s that time of the year again – Stay at Home Mum’s crazy Christmas Dessert
We make a crazy, breathtaking, yet achievable Christmas Dessert that will wow your family at Christmas time.
You can put together this beautiful Christmas Bombe Alaska in just 15 minutes – and it will feed 15 people! Best of all – you can make it in advance, and you just need to do the meringue on Christmas Day.
Feel free to make a smaller version if this is way too huge.
The Traditional Bombe Alaska was all the rage back in the 1970’s – where desserts had to be over the top and theatrical.
Bombe Alaska was popular at every dinner party as not only was it over the top and delicious – you could light it on fire! So it made a grand entrance! And after Covid, theatrical desserts are back in vogue.
A Brief History of the Bombe Alaska
Even though the Bombe Alaska was HUGE in the 1970’s – it has been around for a lot longer than that. The Bombe Alaska first debuted in 1802 when it was served to Thomas Jefferson at a White House dinner.
The very first versions of the Bombe Alaska were made from solid ice cream sitting on a base of sponge cake that was then covered in meringue and frozen. Just before serving, the Bombe Alaska was placed in a very hot oven to lightly toast the meringue. Just like ‘Fried Ice Cream’ – because the middle is frozen so solidly, and with a shell of meringue, this stops the ice cream centre from melting into a mess.
What Makes Our Woolworths Christmas Bombe Alaska Different?
It’s easy to put together! Most Bombe Alaska recipes look really difficult. This one looks impressive and is simple to put together – and you grab all your ingredients from Woolworths.
Products we used:
- Woolworths Iced Christmas Cake 500 grams
- Woolworths Chocolate Rum Balls 160 grams
- Delicious Fresh Cherries
- Woolworths Baked Cheesecake
How to Turn The Christmas Bombe Alaska into a Flaming Bomb Alaska
If you want to turn the Christmas Bombe Alaska into a Flaming Bombe Alaska, it’s easy! Grab some alcohol (we used Gin as it had the highest proof – best for lighting on fire).
Gently heat 1/2 cup of the alcohol on the stove or in the microwave so it is hot – but not boiling. Then make a little divot in the top of the meringue and pour a teaspoon of the hot alcohol into the divot. Use a blowtorch to light the alcohol, then once it catches alight, carefully pour the rest of the alcohol into the divot.
It will then pour all over your Christmas Bombe Alaska and will wow your family and friends on Christmas Day.
Enjoy!
Method
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Depending on the size of your Christmas Bombe Alaska, let it sit on the counter (still in the mould) for about 30 minutes before serving. The ice cream can set really solid which can make it tricky to cut into slices. But giving it that bit of time before serving allows it to soften enough to cut with a large sharp knife.
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Decorate with the fresh cherries, then as you are serving, use a blow torch to gently brown the meringue.
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Allow your ice cream to slightly soften by taking it out of the freezer about 20 minutes before use. Using a spoon, scoop the ice cream into the cake and form a layer.
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Then add a few of the Woolworths Chocolate Rum Balls, add more ice cream, and keep laying until you reach 2cm from the lip of your dome.
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Remove the Baked Cheesecake from the wrapper and flip it upside-down and press it firmly into the mixture so that the base of the cheesecake is level with the lip.
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Then cover the Christmas Bombe Alaska in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer (at least overnight) or until you are ready to serve.
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Allow the Woolworths Christmas Bombe Alaska to stand on the bench for about 20 minutes before serving.
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To make the meringue, beat together the egg whites until they start foaming, then add the sugar. Continue to beat until the mixture is glossy (about 3 minutes).
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Using a spatula, evenly spread the meringue over the whole outside of the Bombe Alaska, making a small divot in the top if you wish to light it in fire.
