Baked Alaska

Ok, so I was going to hold myself to just one dessert recipe but I figure since two of us have already overindulged I don't need any more encouragement to jump on the band wagon! I have at least three favorite desserts (more like 15 but...meh). One is Lion House Cheesecake which I already posted here. Then, if you're in the mood for something even more fancy-pants I highly recommend the goodness that is Baked Alaska: cold, refreshing ice-cream floating on a bed of cake and smothered in hot, marshmallowy meringue. The meringue insulated the ice-cream while baking so nothing turns into soup, but when you cut and eat it the flavor/texture/temperature combo is AMAZING so be brave, you won't regret it!
Ingredients:
1 9" round cake (just one layer)
2 pints icecream
2 t cornstarch
2 t water
5 egg whites
1/2 t cream of tartar
1 t vanilla egg whites
2/3 cup sugar

How to:

1. In advance, bake cake of your choosing in 9" round pans. I actually use a glass pie plate b/c it leaves room for a better meringue igloo.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Dissolve cornstarch into the water in small saucepan over medium heat (about 3 min). Remove from heat and let cool 5 min. While cooling, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Then beat in your cornstarch mixture. Then the vanilla. Beat until egg whites start holding soft peaks and start adding sugar 1/3 cup at a time until egg whites are glossy and have tripled in volume.
4. Scoop ice-cream onto cake in a rounded mound.
5. Smother it all in meringue. Seriously, smother it! It works out best if the meringue is evenly distributed and covering all the edges of the cake.
6. Bake for 5-10 min or until meringue has browned. Enjoy!