Mini baked alaskas

Method

1. To make the jam, whizz the jam sugar in a food processor or blender for a minute or so to make it finer (this stops your jam having a gritty texture). Put the raspberries in a container and crush with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the whizzed sugar, add a squeeze of lemon juice, then leave for 30 minutes to macerate, stirring it every now and then. Transfer to the freezer for at least 24 hours. Defrost before using.
2. To make the ice cream, break up the chocolate and melt either in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl) or in the microwave in short bursts, then leave to cool slightly. Pour the cream into a mixing bowl and whip until it just reaches the soft peak stage – when you lift the beaters out, the peaks flop over. Stir in the slightly cooled chocolate. The difference in temperature will produce small lumps rather than a smooth mixture but this is a good thing, as it creates little melt-in-themouth chocolate pieces when the ice cream freezes.
3. Stir in the condensed milk, then sift in the cocoa powder and add the ground cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine, pour into a container and freeze for at least 4 hours.
4. To make the sponge, first make sure your freezer jam is defrosted (you’ll need 6 tbsp jam). Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4 and line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper. Beat the softened butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy – around 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 8 minutes by hand. Crack in the eggs and beat again, then gently mix in the flour, cocoa powder and milk (it should be quite a thick sponge batter). Tip into the lined tray, smooth out, then bake for 8 minutes. Leave to cool.
5. Use a 7cm round cutter to stamp out 6 discs from your sponge, then put them on a tray or your serving plates. Spread the top of each sponge with 1 tbsp freezer jam. Dip an ice cream scoop in hot water, then scoop out 6 balls from the chocolate ice cream, placing one on top of each of the jammy sponges. Transfer all of them to the freezer.
6. To make the meringue, put the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a clean bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved and the temperature reaches 80°C on a thermometer. It’s important it reaches this temperature because it gives the meringue stability, so do be patient as it takes around 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer and whisk at the highest speed for about 7 minutes until it cools to just above room temperature. Keep an eye on it as over-whipped meringue can split.
7. Take one ice cream-topped sponge out of the freezer and use a small palette knife or butter knife to apply the meringue all over the ice cream. Start from the sponge base and gently drag the meringue upwards. Once the ice cream is completely covered, you can make decorations in the meringue by dragging a clean knife against it, up then outwards to create little spikes. These spikes not only look good but catch the blowtorch, giving you deliciously chewy, caramelised bits of meringue. Work one by one, as quickly as you can, putting each alaska back in the freezer as soon as it’s finished. Blowtorch the meringue at the table for a bit of culinary theatre.