Chocolate Orange Bombe Alaska, Whisky-Marmalade Icecream, Dark Chocolate Sauce

In my house we're far too divided on dessert grounds to have only one type of dessert at Christmas time (I say 'we'...). My sister religiously and unequivocally sticks to dark chocolate desserts, so for the sake of adventure I produce something un-chocolatey. This year the numbers were down, seven people as opposed to the usual twelve. So we weren't fussed about the Christmas cake/pudding tradition malarky (Christmas cake = my no.1 festive hate, closely followed by 'silent night' and 'away in a manger').

This year just one dessert sufficed - a chocolate orange bombe alaska with dark chocolate sauce. I know what some of you're thinking. I too have had serious reservations about baking ice-cream in the past, and making something you yourself don't trust at Christmas-time is risky.  But read on, follow this recipe and enjoy the taste explosion.

A large scoop of anise-scented orange sorbet, layers of whisky-marmalade icecream and chocolate sponge, encased in a soft-baked meringue with a decadently rich, slightly bitter dark chocolate sauce. It was the comination of these flavours and textures which made this dessert so interesting.

Adapted from the BBC Good Food, a website which I hold close to my heart, the original recipe can be found here, but there are a few tweaks I've made. The hot chocolate sauce was great, but the original recipe was too thick so I've altered that. And it didn't add much, so its optional.

I'm pleased to say this has been the first Christmas which hasn't stuffed us to the gills. The bombe is perfect for those who:

• don't want that boxing day mouth ulcer.
• like combinations: bitter, sweet, rich, light, crisp, creamy, tangy, fresh, cold, hot
• love the wow factor

NB: Excuse the rudimentary photography. It doesn't do the dessert justice.

Chocolate Orange Bombe Alaska with Whisky-Marmalade Icecream and Dark Chocolate Sauce

Serves 8 

SPONGE

    2 eggs

    2 egg yolks
    3 tbsp caster sugar
    100g/4oz bar dark chocolate (minimum 70% solids), broken into pieces
    100g unsalted butter , cut into cubes
    50g plain flour

  MARMALADE ICE CREAM

    1 litre vanilla ice-cream
    3 tbsp whisky AND 5 tbsp orange marmalade (not heaped)  OR 5tbsp orange-whisky marmalade

    Zest 1 orange 

SORBET

   300ml orange juice (doesn't need to be fresh) 

   Zest 1 orange

   70g caster sugar

   1 star anise

MERINGUE

    4 egg whites
    225g caster sugar

CHOCOLATE SAUCE (OPTIONAL)

    200g/7oz bar dark chocolate (minimum 70 per cent solids)
    1 tbsp golden syrup
    25g butter
    80ml single cream

1. Remove vanilla ice-cream from freezer and allow to thaw for 30 minutes in the fridge. 
2. Preheat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Lightly butter a Swiss roll tin, line the base with non-stick baking parchment. With an electric whisk, whisk whole eggs, egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl for 8-10 mins until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of almost simmering water, stirring occasionally. 
3. Gently fold in sifted flour gently so you don't lose too much volume. Beat a small amount of the egg mixture into the melted chocolate, then gently fold the chocolate into the remaining egg mixture. Pour into the prepared tin, tilt the tin from side to side until even and the corners are filled. Bake for 10 mins until firm, then leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the ice cream and the sorbet. For the icecream, heat marmalade, whisky and zest in a small pan for a couple of minutes. Blend if desired, and beat into vanilla ice cream. Freeze again until firm. 
4. For the sorbet, mix in with place the orange juice, zest, sugar and star anise into a small pan, bring to the boil and make sure the sugar has dissolved. Churn or freeze mixture in a shallow freezer proof container until set, blending or whisking mixture every half an hour to break up the ice crystals.
5. Line a 1-litre freezer-proof pudding basin with cling film. Saving enough sponge to fit into the top rim of the basin, cut a small circle of sponge cake to fit the base then cut triangular pieces to line the sides. Fill any gaps with trimmings. Place the bowl in the freezer to firm up the sponge.
6. Scoop the ice cream into the cake-lined bowl, leaving a central indent for the sorbet layer. Sit a small bowl in the top of the ice cream to make a smooth indent for the sorbet later to sit in. Freeze until just firm.
7. Fill the centre of the bombe with orange sorbet, cover the entire base of the bowl with a layer of sponge, cover with cling film and return to the freezer until needed, or at least 8 hrs ahead. This can be done well in advance and that's all the really hard work done.
8. About 20 mins before serving, heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a large clean bowl until stiff, holding soft peaks. Whisk in the sugar, a tablespoon or so at a time, bringing it back to stiff peaks before each addition. Turn the bombe out onto an ovenproof serving dish and remove the cling film. Spoon the meringue all over the bombe to completely seal it. Using the back of the spoon or a palette knife, pull the meringue into dramatic swirls. Bake for 10 mins or until golden. While baking, make the chocolate sauce. Melt chocolate and cream in a small pan on low heat, stirring constantly (making sure it doesn't burn). Add syrup and butter, stirring until melted.
9. Serve immediately, sliced and drizzled with the hot chocolate sauce.

Hope your Christmas was a blast!