Barbecued Ice Cream, A Surefire Showstopper

Ice cream on the grill? Oh what a thrill!

I introduced this barbecued ice cream, a grilled riff on the popular baked Alaska dessert, to national television on Live with Regis and Kelly in 2001.

Since then, I’ve repeated the demonstration of this fun dish on the Today Show, FOX & Friends, CBS Good Morning, and many of the country’s largest daytime TV stations. What better way to wow your friends at your next BBQ and grilling cookout then by finishing the meal with a grilled ice cream dessert!

BBQ Ice Cream Recipe

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Our take on baked Alaska, this toasted meringue covered cake and ice cream is a surefire showstopper.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

 

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• 10 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 16 ounces pound cake
• 1 jar raspberry jam (or other favorite fruit jam)
• 3 Klondike ice cream bars (your favorite flavor or a mix of flavors)
• 8 ounces chocolate-mint fudge sauce
• 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, for garnish
• Chocolate sprinkles, for garnish

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Method

 

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1. Prep. Wrap a 12" (30.5 cm) square, 1/2" (1.3 cm) thick wooden plank in 2 to 3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
2. Using an electric mixer, whip together the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar until they are very stiff, so that when you pull the beaters away, sharp points stand up. Refrigerate.
3. Set the foil-wrapped plank on the counter. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut the pound cake in half horizontally, and lay one half on the foil.
4. Fire up. Get a good, hot (600°F to 700°F (315.6°C to 371.1°C)) fire going in a grill or smoker.
5. Prep again. Spread the jam on the cut side of each half of the cake. Place the Klondike bars on the jam on the bottom layer of the cake, then cover it with the jam side of the top layer.
6. Using a rubber spatula, completely cover the cake on all sides with meringue, being sure to spead the meringue all the way down to the foil all around the cake. If you leave any gaps between the meringue and foil, the ice cream may melt and spoil the dessert.
7. Cook. Place the plank in the center of the grill and immediately close the cover. Check it after 2 minutes, and as soon as you see the peaks of meringue turning brown, remove the dessert from the cooker.
   
8. Serve. Spoon a generous pool of fudge sauce on each serving plate. With an electric knife, cut vertical slices through the dessert, and put the slices on the plates. Garnish with the fresh mint leaves, shake chocolate sprinkles over the meringue, and serve immediately.

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