Alaska Pie

A single-serving baked Alaska, and the whole thing hinges on temperature contrast: the ice cream must be frozen hard and the oven hot enough to color the meringue in a few minutes.

• Get the ice cream cold firstFill the baked shells and return them to the freezer for at least an hour before the meringue goes on. Filling and browning in one continuous motion, as the text implies, gives you soup.
• "Hot oven"In period terms roughly 400-450F. The point is to brown the surface in a few minutes; a moderate oven will melt the ice cream before the meringue takes color. A broiler or kitchen torch does the same job with less risk, watched constantly.
• "Bulk ice cream"Period shorthand for plain ice cream scooped from a container, as opposed to the molded bricks and fancy shapes sold for parties. Any dense vanilla works; softer modern styles with more air melt faster.
• Shells baked on the back of the pansPastry rounds are draped over inverted patty tins or muffin cups so they hold a cup shape without filling or weights. Prick them, and expect them to shrink slightly as they set.
• The meringue ratioFour tablespoons of sugar per white is a quarter cup each, which produces a stiff, sweet, marshmallowy meringue that insulates well and holds its peaks. Beat to soft peaks first, then add sugar gradually, or it will weep.
• Seal the edges"Cover completely" is the instruction that matters. The meringue must meet the pastry rim all the way around with no gaps, or heat reaches the ice cream through the break.
• Raw whitesA few minutes of browning does not bring the interior of the meringue to a safe temperature. Use pasteurized whites if serving anyone who should avoid raw egg.
• YieldThe recipe gives no count. Figure one shell per person and, roughly, one egg white per shell or two if the meringue is to cover completely. Make no more than you can carry to the table at once.