Peppermint Crisp Ice Cream Pie    


A chocolate crumb crust holds peppermint and chocolate ice cream that is layered with crisp peppermint candy and a chocolate sauce. Pass additional chocolate sauce to pour over slices of ice cream pie. At holiday time, garnish each slice of pie with a festive candy cane.

Ingredients:
Serves 12

Chocolate Crumb Crust

2 cups (9 ounce package) chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Sauce - makes about 1/2 cup

7 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Filling

1 quart each chocolate and peppermint ice cream, refrigerator softened 30
minutes 1 cup peppermint candy, about 5 1/2 ounces, coarsely chopped

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter 9" springform pan.

In large bowl, mix chocolate cookie crumbs and melted butter, stirring mixture until crumbs are moistened evenly. Transfer crumbs to prepared pan. Use fingers to press crumbs evenly over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake crust for 6 minutes. Cool crust completely.

In top of double boiler over barely simmering water, or in a microwave following manufacturer's directions for melting chocolate, stir chocolate and vegetable oil until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Using a metal spatula, spread softened chocolate ice cream over crumb crust. Sprinkle half of the peppermint candy evenly over ice cream. Using a teaspoon, drizzle 3 tablespoons of chocolate sauce evenly over chocolate coating. Sprinkle remaining peppermint candy evenly over peppermint ice cream. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of chocolate coating in thin, crisscrossing lines over the peppermint candy.

Place remaining chocolate sauce in heatproof container. Cover and refrigerate to serve with pie. (The chocolate sauce can be refrigerated up to 3 weeks.)

Cover pie tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze at least 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks.

To serve, remove chocolate sauce from refrigerator and warm in microwave or in top of double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir until mixture is melted and pourable.

Remove ice cream pie from freezer 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Dip a dish towel in hot water and wring it dry. Hold hot towel around sides of springform pan for 15 seconds. Release sides of pan. Using a sharp knife, cut ice cream pie into wedges.

Pass around the pitcher of warm chocolate sauce.