Crossword Genius

Food in hot and cold state (5,6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

baked alaska

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'food' is the definition.
(baked Alaska is a kind of food)

'hot and cold state' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'state' could be 'alaska' (Alaska is an example) and 'alaska' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'baked' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'in' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for baked alaska that I've seen before include "Hot and cold sweet" , "Cake and ice cream dessert" , "Ice cream and meringue dish" , "Ice-cream and meringue dessert" , "pudding" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.