Caramel Ice Cream Pie

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

This is a natural do-ahead dessert. Use top-quality ice cream. Vanilla and coffee are our favorites.

Ingredients

Crust

Caramel Sauce

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make crust, place Grape-Nuts in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until fine crumbs are formed, 2 minutes. Add pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Process 30 seconds longer. Add melted butter and process until just incorporated. Transfer to prepared pie pan. Press crumbs firmly into bottom and sides of pan. Bake until lightly brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. To make caramel sauce, blend sugar and ¼ cup water in a deep, heavy, 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar from crystallizing. Boil, without stirring, until sugar mixture turns deep amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Watch closely, as mixture can quickly go from amber to burnt. Remove from heat and carefully add whipping cream and 2 tablespoons water. Stand back to avoid spattering. Place over low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until all caramel is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
4. To assemble pie, remove 1 pint of ice cream from freezer to refrigerator 30 to 40 minutes before beginning assembly. At the same time, place cooled crust in freezer. Spread softened ice cream over chilled pie crust. Top with half of cooled caramel sauce. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 hours before repeating with second pint of ice cream. Top pie with toasted pecans, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and freeze until firm or for at least 4 hours. Transfer from freezer to refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.