“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”

-Mae West-

6 large scoops of vanilla ice cream

12 meringue shells

Hot chocolate sauce

¾ cup sliced, toasted almonds

3 cups sweet whipped cream

Meringue Shell

6 egg whites (from large eggs)

1 ½ cups of super-fine sugar

1 pinch salt or cream of tartar

Butter

Flour

Chocolate Sauce

¾ pound semi-sweet dark chocolate, cut in small pieces

¼ cup of water

1 stick sweet butter

1 dash Kaluha or rum (optional)

1 dash milk (optional)

Put the chocolate and water in a bowl and melt over a double boiler. Blend in the butter and beat with a whisk. Add the run or Kaluha or milk – or all three, if you want.

Beat the egg whites and salt (or cream of tartar) until peak stage and then slowly add sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are very stiff.

Butter a baking sheet and dust with flour, shaking off all excess flour.

Fill a pastry bag with meringue mixture and pipe out a 3-inch diamter circle, working inward in a spiral to fill in the circle with meringue.

Cook in a 150°F oven for 3 to 4 hours, until the meringue is hard (That seems like a low temperature, but if the oven is too hot, the meringue will turn brown before it’s fully cooked). Turn off the oven, but leave the shells there until they’ve cooled to room temperature.

Cool and store in an airtight metal container. They’ll actually keep for weeks.

 

Assembly

Sandwich ice cream between 2 meringue shells. Coat the sides with whipped cream and roll in sliced, toasted almonds. Drizzle hot chocolate sauce over this tasty dish and serve.

Serves 6