By Anna Neuber
Question
If I put ice cream to bake in an oven, will the egg white and sugar mixture insulate it well enough so it won’t melt?
Hypothesis
If I put the ice cream into the egg white mixture and heat it up in the oven at 260°, it will not melt because of the insulation.
Variables
Independent Variables
The independent variables are those that are changed throughout the experiment. In my experiment I am going to change the amount of egg white mixture on the ice cream (in my first experiment I put very little and the experiment didn’t work out). I will also be changing the type of ice cream. This will not affect the experiment but it will change the taste.
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable is the one that is measured during the experiment. I will be measuring/observing the texture and outcome of the ice cream after it has been baked in the oven.
Controlled Variables
The controlled variables are the ones that you try to keep constant throughout your experiment so that they don’t affect your experiment. I will be keeping the temperature of the oven the same and the type of cookie that I place the ice cream on.
Background Research
Ice cream usually melts when exposed to heat. This is an observable physical change. But could there be a way to keep it in tact without letting it melt? In fact, there is a way! Americans eat this as a treat and call it “Baked Alaska”. In effect it is ice cream covered in an egg white mixture put into an oven. Why doesn’t it melt? The egg whites mixture acts as an insulator and keeps the ice cream cool. The air bubbles slow down the penetration of heat from the outside. Once baked, the dessert is hot on the outside and freezing on the inside. If I put the bowl of ice cream into the egg white mixture and then on the cookie and put it into the oven at 260 degrees Celsius, will it melt or will it stay intact because of the insulation? Oven baked ice
Bibliography: Ehler, James T. "Baked Alaska." Recipes for Sweet Comforts from the North Country. New York, New York: James T. Ehler, 2000. 143., . . Print. Bellis, Mary. History of Ice Cream. Ed. Mary Bellis. about.com: Mary Bellis, 2011. 2., . . Print. Bellis, Mary. History of the Oven. Ed. Mary Bellis. about.com: Mary Bellis, 2009. 3., . . Print. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/3107121731_69336f5e82_o.jpg "Baked Alaska." Alaska Wild Berry Cookbook: 270 Recipes from the Far North. Alaska: Alaska Northwest Books, 2012. Print. http://www.zagblog.ch/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/icecream.jpg