Baked Alaska in a Cup

Preheat the oven to 475º F.

Cover the bottoms of four oven proof cups or ramekins with cookie chunks. Use enough chunks to reach a depth of about 3/4 inch:

Fill each cup with ice cream of choice:

Use an ice cream spade to press the ice cream tight into the cup.

Freeze the cups of ice cream for at least 30 minutes, until rock hard.

Beat until soft peaks form:

Drizzle in while beating:

Add:

Beat until stiff peaks form. The peaks should be stiff but not shiny. Do not over-beat.

Pile the meringue on top of the frozen ice cream. Cover the ice cream completely to insulate it from the heat. Repeat with the other three cups.

Place the cups on a large baking sheet to deflect heat from their bottoms. For extra insulation, wrap the cups in a dishcloth (optional).

Bake for 2 to 4 minutes or until the meringue is golden. This browns the meringue without heating the cold cup.

Serve immediately.