Theme Recipe: Orange Alaska

ORANGE ALASKAS FROM THE FREEZER

A few weeks back I enjoyed a Friday of 1950's science fiction flicks, but did not have the time to post a recipe cogent to the subject, so here goes...and since we had a little return to that this morning as a 50's double feature, this works here too.  In the 1950's, more and more households had electric appliances.  The one thing that every household coveted was the new fangled freezer/refrigerator combos out there.  As result of this, all sorts of frozen dishes suddenly showed up everywhere.  There were no-bake versions of cakes, pies and puddings, but none was so "50's" as the Baked Alaska.  This is an easier version of the Alaska, in an orange cup.  So here's to all things frozen, at the end of summer!

8 firm large oranges + 1 (9 total)

Orange ice cream or sherbet of your choice (1 pint)

8 oz of orange yogurt

1/4 to 1/3 cup favorite orange liqueur + splash extra

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. real vanilla extract

1/2 cup white sugar

1.  Remove the tops of each of the first 8 oranges, cut around the pulp in a circular fashion and scoop out the pulp into a waiting bowl, making sure you don't puncture the bottom of the orange cup.  Grate the rind of the 9th orange and set aside.  Squeeze the pulp to get the juice out.  While doing this let the ice cream or the sherbet soften

2.  Combine 2/3 cup of the juice with the frozen dessert and stir in the yogurt and the orange liqueur of your choice.  Mix well.  Stuff this mixture back into the orange cups and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours, overnight is best.

3.  Next day, lightly break up the meringues, and add in the cream of tartar.  Beat until you have stiff peaks, then add the sugar, at little at a time, beating after each addition to stiff peaks.  Retrieve the frozen orange cups and spread each with the sweetened meringue.  Freeze again, at least 6 hours, or until you are ready to serve them.

4.  To Serve:  broil the oranges 6 inches or more from heat source for no more than 2 minutes, until meringue is brownish.  

VARIATIONS

You can very the citrus fruit that you use.  Lemons and Limes make it smaller.  Grapefruits, obviously, bigger.

Add more than one kind of ice cream or sherbet makes is nice.

The meringue can be made with brown sugar.

You can use of brulee torch to brown the meringue, but the shells will need to sit a few minutes at room temperature.

The meringue can be piped to make fancier decorations, such in the photo above.  That orange was also cut open with a fluting knife, which you can find in any standard decoration kit at kitchen ware stores or sites.

The orange cups can be candied before filling by boiling them in a sugar solution.