It’s like a Shamrock Shake on fire! This simple, no-churn, eggless ice cream is creamy, and minty. It makes for a gorgeous St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Baked Alaska.
The rich texture comes from whole fat ricotta cheese and whipped cream that’s folded into the mixture just before freezing. To get the most flavor, I use both fresh mint and mint extract. The ice cream recipe is made in a blender or food processor, with no cooking at all. After you blend all of the ingredients until they are smooth, they are poured into hemisphere molds (or an 8-inch bowl) and frozen. Once the ice cream is set, you can add the crunchy, candy-like crust. This keeps the ice cream from melting too fast on the plate.
Ice Cream Tips
- Use whole fat ricotta for the best texture. You want the fat to make it creamy.
- If you prefer the ice cream without the flecks of mint in it, strain it through a fine mesh strainer before adding the whipped cream.
- If you use a bowl as a mold that isn’t made of silicone, line the bowl with plastic wrap so you can easily unmold the frozen ice cream.
Crust Tips
- You can switch the milk chocolate for white chocolate without any other changes. If you want to use dark chocolate, it will work, but make sure the crust layer is no more than 1/16th inch, since the dark chocolate will set even firmer.
- The recipe can be made with or without Nutella, but using it helps the texture, and I like the flavor.
- To make the crust crunchy, you can use Gavottes a crispy crepes cookie that I break up (see video below), if you can’t find Feuilletine, which is the same as Gavottes but already broken into pieces.
- Don’t make the crust too thick or it will be difficult to cut when frozen.
Meringue Tips
- I covered my Baked Alaska in vegan aquafaba meringue, but you can use the traditional version, if you wish. I included it in the recipe. Get the aquafaba recipe at the button below.
- You can cover the baked Alaska in the meringue and freeze the dessert (uncovered) for a couple of days before torching and serving. You can also torch the meringue ahead of serving and keep in the freezer but it’s more fun to wield the blow torch at the table, carefully! 😉
Servings: 12 individual-sized or one 10-inch baked Alaska
Ingredients
No-Churn, No-Egg Ice Cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 16 oz ricotta
- 2 cups mint stemmed, plus more for garnish
- 1 tsp mint extract optional
- 2 Tbsp crème de menthe
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Crunch Crust
- 4 oz (112g) milk chocolate*
- 1 Tbsp Nutella optional
- 60 grams Gavottes crushed or feuilletine
Meringue Topping (or use Aquafaba Meringue)
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) egg whites (from about 7 eggs) at room temperature
- 3 cups (600g) granulated sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the No-Churn Ice Cream
- In a blender or food processor, combine the sweetened condensed milk, ricotta, mint, mint extract and crème de menthe. Process until the mixture is smooth and mint is evenly pulverized. Pro Tip: You can strain the mixture to remove the mint leaves or for a more intense mint flavor leave the flecks in the mixture.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream on medium speed until stiff, smooth peaks. Pour about 1 cup of the mint mixture into the cream and fold together using a rubber spatula. Add another cup of the mint mixture and fold in, repeat until all of the mint mixture is folded into the cream. The mixture will be quite runny.
- Ladle or pour the mixture into twelve 6-ounce silicone hemisphere molds or one 8-inch mold. Leave at least 1/16th inch for the crust in the mold. Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours, but can be done days ahead and covered.
Prepare the Crust
- In a medium glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until smooth. Stir in the Nutella and then add the crushed gavottes flakes. Spread a thin layer (about 1/16 to 1/8th-inch-thick) over the frozen mint ice cream. Pro Tip: Don’t make the crust too thick or it will be hard to cut into when frozen.
- Allow to set in the freezer, about 15 minutes before unmolding and finishing the baked Alaska.
Prepare the Meringue
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1 inch / 2.5cm of water to a simmer.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt; place over the simmering water; and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is hot and all of the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and place onto the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, then beat on high speed until very thick and glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. If the meringue is not stiff enough, your spikes will slouch and lose the drama. Add the vanilla and mix well. Use immediately.
Assemble the Baked Alaska
- Invert the ice cream from the mold and set on serving plate. If the ice cream is sliding around, a dab of Nutella on the plate will “glue” it in place and prevent it from moving as you coat in meringue. Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip or just a spatula to coat the ice cream in the meringue. Pro Tip: Make sure the entire thing is covered; the meringue acts as an insulation and prevents the ice cream from melting too quickly when you serve it.
- Pro Tip: You can freeze the meringue coated baked Alaska for up to a day before serving. Don’t cover them in the freezer or you will ruin the design of the meringue.
Torch the Meringue
- You can do this just before serving or torch it before returning the baked Alaska to the freezer. It’s more fun to do the torching in front of your guests, so I typically do it just before serving.
Notes
Substituting White or Dark Chocolate: You can substitute white chocolate for the crust with no changes. If you use dark chocolate, it will set quite hard. The taste and texture will be lovely, but it will be harder to cut through, so make sure you make the crust layer quite thin.
Serving suggestion: Tempering the ice cream before serving will give the ice cream a creamier texture. You can take them out of the freezer about 30 to 40 minutes (this will depend on how hot your kitchen is) before serving and leave at room temperature.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
