CHOCOLATE MINT BOMBE

1/2 gallon softened pistachio or other flavored ice cream
1 package deluxe chocolate mint cake ix
Italian meringue
Green food coloring
cinnamon candies or other trim

Line 8" round layer cake pan and a one-quart mixing bolw with strips of wax paper.  Arrange strips so ends come over edge of pan and bowl.  Divide ice cream between pan and bowl.  Pack until firm and freeze solid.  (About 2 hours)  Prepare cake according to directions of package and bake in two 8" layers.  Cool thoroughly.  Prepare meringue and tint pale green.  Place 1 layer of cake on large plate, cover with 8" layer of ice cream.  Add second cake layer and bowl ice cream rounded side up.  Quickly swirl entire bombe with a heavy covering of meringue to seal in cold.  You can also cover with meringue rosettes pressed out through a large fluted pastry tube.  Return to freezer until ready to serve.  Before serving, dot entire chocolate bomb with gala red cinnamon dots or candied violets.

Meringue:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 t cream of tartar
4 egg whites

In sauce pan combine sugar, water and cream of tartar.  Bring slowly to a boil.  Then boil rapidly to 236F, the soft ball stage.  Beat egg whites until stiff.  Pour syrup very slowly over egg whites beating constantly.  Add vanilla and continue beating until frosting holds its shape.

Well, I was quite excited to try this, and I had the perfect opportunity since I had a birthday party to throw, and I was going to be gone for a few days before, so I made this ahead and threw it in the freezer. I added a little peppermint extract to the chocolate cake batter since I couldn't find chocolate mint cake mix.  I used a pistachio, chocolate, strawberry ice cream.  First let me say that the idea of wax strips in pan and bowl in order to pull the ice cream out doesn't work.  It just makes the wax paper tear.  Instead just use a wood spoon or spatula to pull ice cream out.  The meringue is just delicious, but I messed up.  I should've let the meringue cool down before attempting to frost the cake and ice cream.  Everything just started to melt and I had to hurry up and put it in the freezer, and it ended up a disaster all over the freezer (more like a volcano!)  Also, there's no mention of how much vanilla to add in the meringue, so I used a tsp.  I thought the taste of this was great, and although it looked horrible since it melted (see pic below), it still looked nice when I sliced it (see other pic).  Would I make this again?  Probably, and I'll be more patient this time and let the meringue cool down!