Categories: Ice cream, Chocolate 
      Yield: 12 servings 
  
           - directions continued          
  
  MOCHA MERINGUE: Using a 9" cake circle (or cake plate) as a guide, trace a 
  circle on each of 3 sheets of parchment paper (cut to fit the baking 
  sheets) with a pencil. Turn each sheet of parchment paper over and place 
  with the trace mark down on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 250~. 
  Combine together in a sifter the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and 
  cocoa. Sift onto the wax paper and set aside until needed. Heat 1" of water 
  in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium-high heat. Place 8 egg 
  whites, 3/4 cup sugar, the espresso powder, the cream of tartar, and the 
  salt in the top half of the double boiler. Heat the egg white mixture to a 
  temperature of 120~ while gently and constantly whisking, about 2-3 
  minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with 
  a balloon whip. Whisk on high until stiff but not dry, about 2 to 2 1/2 
  minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in 
  the sifted dry ingredients. Fill a pastry bag (with no tip) with about a 
  third of the meringue. Fill a traced circle with meringue: start in the 
  center and pipe a 1/2" wide spiral toward the ouside of the circle. Fill 
  the pastry bag again and repeat this procedure with each of the 2 remaining 
  circles (each circle should be filled with about a third of the original 
  amount of meringue.) Place the meringues in the preheated oven and bake for 
  1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 225~ and bake for an additional 2 
  hours. Cool on baking sheets for 30 minutes before handling. 
    THE GANACHE: Heat 2 cups heavy cream, the butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar 
  in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve 
  the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate and 
  4 ounces unsweetened chocolate in a stainless bowl. Pour the boiling cream 
  over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. 
  Reserve 1 cup of ganache and set aside at room temperature. Pour the 
  remaining amount of ganache onto a baking sheet with sides and refrigerate 
  for 35-40 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup of the reserved room-temperature ganache 
  onto the center of a baked meringue (supported by a cake circle). Remove an 
  ice-cream disk from the freezer. Unwrap the disk and place it onto the 
  puddle of ganache. Press down on the ice cream disk gently but firmly (this 
  will spread the ganache). Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized star 
  tip with one-third of the chilled ganache. Pipe about 28-30 individual 
  vertical strips 1 1/2" long and 3/4" wide--all the way around the side of 
  the ice cream disk (each strip should be touching the other, and each strip 
  should also be wider at the base where it touches the meringue and tapered 
  at the crest where it rises to the top edge of the ice cream disk). Place 
  this section into the freezer and repeat the preceding procedure with 
  another meringue and ice cream disk. Place in the freezer after completion 
  for about 10-15 minutes. Remove a meringue and ice cream section from the 
  freezer. Pour 1/4 cup of room-temperature ganache onto the center of the 
  ice cream. Remove the second section from the freezer, and center onto the 
  first. Press down on the ice cream, gently but firmly, to spread the 
  ganache. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of room-temperature genache onto the 
  top ice cream disk, and onto this ganache place the remaining baked 
  meringue, once again pressing down gently but firmly to spread the ganache. 
  Place the Devastation in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. Fill a pastry 
  bag fitted with a medium-sized star tip with the remaining chilled ganache. 
  Remove the Devastation from the freezer. Starting 1/2" inside the edge of 
  the top meringue, pipe a ring of about 28-30 individual strips--1 1/2" long 
  and 3/4" wide--all the way around the top (each strip should be touching 
  the other, and each strip should also be wider at the point closest to the 
  edge and tapered at the point closest to the center). Return the completed 
  Devastation to the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving. To serve, 
  cut the Devastation with a serrated slicer. Heat the blade of the slicer 
  under hot running water before making each slice. Allow the slices to come