Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Pie

Graham Cracker and Chocolate Chip Crumb Cr 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Pie 2 pints chocolate ice cream, softened until spread

but not melted 1 1/2 cups -- �

1 1/2 inch pie Oreo cookies (about 12 coo

2 cups -- �

1 1/2 inch pie Chocolate Chip Cookies

(about six 3-inch cookies) Chocolate Truffle Sauce 3/4 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate, ch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan with sides at least 2 3/4-inches high. 2. Make the crumb crust. Mix the cracker crumbs with the cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir together until the crumbs are evenly moistened with butter. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the crumbs to the springform pan. With the back of your fingers or a spoon, press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and 3/4 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 6 minutes. Cool the crust completely before filling it with the ice cream. The crust can be baked 1 day ahead, covered with plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature. 3. Use an ice cream spade to spread the softened chocolate ice cream over the crumb crust. Sprinkle half the crumbled Oreos and chocolate chip cookies evenly over the ice cream. Drizzle about 6 tablespoons of Chocolate Truffle Sauce over the cookies. Spread the softened vanilla ice cream over the cookies. Sprinkle the remaining Oreo and chocolate chip cookie pieces evenly over the ice cream. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Chocolate Truffle Sauce.

To Freeze: Freeze the pie 15 minutes to firm the chocolate sauce. Wrap the pie tightly with plastic wrap then with heavy aluminum foil, gently pressing the foil against the pie. Freeze overnight or up to 1 week. The pie can be frozen up to 2 weeks, but the chocolate chip cookies will soften slightly. Once the pie is frozen, you can remove the springform pan. Dip a dish towel in hot water and wring out the water. Hold the hot towel around the sides of the pan for 15 seconds. Release the sides of the pan. Either leave the pie on the springform bottom or slide it onto a serving plate. Rewrap the pie with plastic and foil and return it to the freezer. To Serve: Remove the ice cream pie from the freezer and let it soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Warm the 1 1/2 cups of Chocolate Truffle Sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Use a large sharp knife to cut the pie into wedges and pass the warm Chocolate Truffle Sauce.

Chocolate Truffle Sauce (makes about 2 cups)

Put the cream and butter in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the cream is hot and the butter is melted. The hot cream mixture will form tiny bubbles and measure about 175 F on a food thermometer. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and let it melt in the hot cream mixture for about 30 seconds to soften. Add the vanilla and stir the sauce until it is smooth and all of the chocolate is melted.

To Freeze: Pour 1 cup of the sauce into each of 2 plastic containers, leaving 1 inch of space at the top. Loosely cover and cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the sauce and cover the container tightly. Freeze up to 2 months.

To Serve: Remove from the freezer. Defrost in the covered container overnight in the refrigerator. Warm the sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Use the sauce warm as hot fudge sauce or as directed in recipe. If you need the sauce in a hurry and don`t have time to defrost it, run some hot water over the covered container and remove the frozen sauce from the container. Warm the sauce in a heatproof container placed over (but not touching) barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Leftover sauce can be stored up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

This recipe is from _Bake and Freeze Desserts_ by Elinor Klivans.