2019 Grand Prize Culinary Professional Recipe: The Mocha Alaska made with OREO® cookie pieces

Sponsored by Mondelēz International

Valerie Nin,
Grill 23 and Bar
Boston, Massachusetts

Description: Mocha OREO® Ice Cream layered with Devil's Cake made with OREO®and frosted in meringue then toasted.

Ingredients                                                                                                                                       
Yield: one 6” cake, or 10 portions
Devil's Cake made with OREO® Cookies
1 lb AP Flour
1 cup Black Cocoa Powder
½ cup OREO® Crumbs
1 lb 2 oz Sugar
1.5 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
4 Eggs, large, room temperature
2 cups Buttermilk
5.5 oz Sour Cream
8 oz Melted Butter, unsalted

Mocha OREO® Ice Cream
1.5 qt Heavy Cream
3 cups Sugar
I jar (2 oz) Instant Espresso Powder
0.25 cup Kahlua
0.5 Tbsp Kosher Salt
2 qt Evaporated Milk
2 cups OREO® Cookie Pieces, medium
Meringue
1 cup Egg Whites, large
1.5 cups Sugar, extra fine
0.25 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

For the cake:

Melt the butter and set aside.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Whisk in OREO® crumbs.  Place your dry ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and sour cream.
Add the egg mix to the dry mix and paddle until smooth; be careful not to overmix.
With the mixer still running, stream in the melted butter and mix until just combined.
Divide into 3 greased 6” pans.
Bake in a 325f convection oven for about 45 min.

For the ice cream:
Combine the sugar and espresso powder in a bowl and mix until well blended.  
In a pot combine the cream, salt, and the sugar/espresso mixture and warm over high heat until the sugar is dissolved. 
Remove from heat and add the Kahlua and evaporated milk. 
Chill overnight before churning.  Right after churning the ice cream, gently stir in the OREO® cookie pieces.  Freeze until solid, preferably overnight.

To assemble:

Cut one of your OREO® cakes into 3 even layers.  Take a clean 6" cake pan and spray a little pan spray to coat the inside.  Line the inside of the cake pan with three layers of plastic wrap, make sure there is overhang so it is easy to remove the cake.  Press one layer of cake into the bottom of the cake pan.  Put a layer of mocha OREO® ice cream, try to make it the same thickness as the cake layer.  Put another layer of cake, then another layer of ice cream.  Top off with the final layer of cake and freeze overnight.

The next day:  Over a water bath, warm the egg whites and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.  Whisk in the cream of tartar and whip to medium stiff peaks.  Unmold the alaska onto a decorative plate or cake stand.  Frost the cake with the meringue and toast the meringue with a brulee torch.  Serve immediately or put into the freezer until ready to serve (but it should be served the day it is made).

Valerie Nin, Grill 23 and Bar, Boston, Massachusetts