Let me tell you how scrumptious this ice cream pie is. I served it after dinner two nights ago and Mr. E exclaimed, "This is EASILY in my top 10 desserts!" The next day, he messaged me from work, "I should have eaten some of that ice cream pie for breakfast this morning." Last night after dinner, he said, "Did I tell you this is on my list of favorite desserts?"
Yeah. I guess you could say it's a hit. Not just with Mr. E, but with Jack and me, too. In fact, the three of us are about to finish this baby off any minute now.
Not only is it delicious; it's ridiculously easy to make. The crust is crushed amaretti cookies. Have you had them? These crispy Italian almond cookies are some of my favorites. My grocery store, HEB, sells them packaged, but they're not in the cookie section, they're with the Italian foods. Amazon also sells the same brand (in a case!) and I've also purchased amaretti cookies at World Market.
Start by making a parchment ring inside a springform pan. This will keep the ice cream from getting stuck to the sides of the pan.
I got a chance to break in my new food processor for this recipe. There's no better way to break in a food processor than by making cookies crumbs! (For those curious, I bought the new KitchenAid one from Sur la Table...thanks, Dad, for the gift card!) Jack and I assembled it and then pitched my old one (that would turn on BEFORE I pressed the power button).
OK, pour the crumbs into the pan. No butter here. The ice cream will keep it together.
You'll reserve some cookie crumbs and then mix that (again with the food processor) with two pints of chocolate ice cream. Freeze it until firm.
Next up, make a small batch of ganache. Spread quickly over the ice cream (do not stop and take photos for your blog...it freezes too quickly). Crush one amaretti cookie over the top. Freeze for at least an hour more before slicing and serving.
Y'all. I'll be making this whenever we have company...and I have a feeling Mr. E will be requesting it for his birthday cake this year. :)
{serves 8-10}
5 ounces amaretti cookies + 1 cookie
2 pints chocolate ice cream
3 ounces semisweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Grease a 9" springform pan. Cut parchment to line the sides of the pan, trimming to a few inches above the pan height.
Reserving the extra cookie, pulse the 5 ounces in a food processor until crumbs form. Reserve 1/2 cup crumbs. Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Scoop into the food processor bowl, along with the reserved 1/2 cup crumbs. Process until the ice cream is smooth and crumbs are distributed throughout. Pour into the pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread evenly. Freeze at least 3 hours.
After 3 hours or more, place the chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the cream over medium-high heat until simmering. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir with a silicone spatula until completely combined.
Working quickly, pour the ganache over the ice cream layer and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Crumble the one reserved cookie over the top. Freeze for at least another hour before serving.
To serve, let the pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Remove the springform sides and parchment. Run a knife under hot water, wipe dry, and slice.
(Adapted from Everyday Food.)
PLEASE tell me you'll make this ASAP.