Grasshopper Baked Alaska with Oppo Ice Cream (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3
 
Looking for the perfect winter dessert? This Grasshopper Baked Alaska features fudgy brownie, topped with mint chocolate ice cream, all slathered in ooey gooey aquafaba meringue!
Ingredients
For the brownie layer:
  • 225g good quality dark chocolate (85% plus cacao solids)
  • 225g grass-fed butter
  • 175g coconut sugar
  • 4 small to medium eggs
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 1 tbsp cacao powder
For the ice cream layer:
  • 1 x 500ml tub Oppo Mint Choc Swirl ice cream (softened)
For the vegan meringue:
  • 1¼ cup raw cane sugar or coconut sugar
  • ⅔ cup aquafaba (drained chickpea juice)
  • ½ tsp xanthan gum
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3/325°F. Grease and line a brownie tin (20cm/8"x20cm/8"x6cm/1.5") with greaseproof non-sick paper and set to one side. Melt the chocolate and butter gently over a bain-marie. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until hand hot (lukewarm).
  2. Beat the eggs and coconut sugar together using an electric hand whisk or stand mixer until pale and smooth. You should be able to trace ribbons of the mix from your whisk for at least a couple of seconds. Fold in your egg mixture into your melted chocolate. Sieve in your ground almonds and cacao powder and fold again. Be careful not to knock any air out of the mixture. Plunge the spatula in at one side and work in a figure of 8 until you have a beautifully glossy mixture.
  3. Transfer the mixture into your lined brownie tin and bake in the oven for 25-40 minutes. The top should be set but the mixture gooey on the inside and the outer edges should come away from the sides. Leave to cool completely before placing a mini pudding basin on top and cutting out 3 round brownies, cutting around the outer edges of the basin.
  4. Start preparing your moulded ice cream by greasing 3 mini pudding basins and line with cling film. Be sure to leave a handful of excess to help you lift out your ice cream later. Divide your Oppo ice cream equally between the 3 basins and smooth out the surface as evenly as possible. Fold over the cling film on top and return to the freezer.
  5. It's now time to whip up your meringue topping. Divide your raw cane sugar into 2 equal halves, Transfer one half into a high powered blender and using a milling blade, process until it begins to turn into an icing sugar like consistency. Place your powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients for the meringue into a stand mixer, alternatively use a large mixing bowl and handheld electric or manual whisk. Whisk until smooth and fluffy with stiff peaks. You shouldn't be able to feel any grittiness of the sugar when rubbing the mixture between your fingers.
  6. Place your brownie rounds on a baking tray and evenly space them giving you plenty of room to work. Remove your pudding basins from the freezer and quickly dip them in some freshly boiled water before gently tugging and the excess clingfilm to remove. Place the ice cream on top of the brownies. Return to the freezer for a further 10 minutes to firm up.
  7. Take a couple of tablespoons of the meringue mix at a time and swirl on top of the Baked Alaskas. Give a quick blast with a chef's blowtorch, or if you don't have one simply pop under the grill until golden. Serve immediately.
Notes
The recipe makes 3 mini Baked Alaskas - I found 1 too filling for myself so feel free to freeze and thaw out at a later date before browning your meringue topping.

*All cup measurements used are UK cup measurements and so 1 cup = 250ml.
Recipe by Greens of the Stone Age at https://greensofthestoneage.com/grasshopper-baked-alaska-with-oppo-ice-cream-paleo-gluten-free/