Black Forest Ice Cream Pie

Celebrate National Ice Cream Day July 19th 

with

Black Forest Ice Cream Pie

Cook's Notes:This ice cream pie is quite versatile. Some options include: a graham cracker or cookie crust, vanilla or cherry chunk ice cream, using reduced fat, low fat or sugar free products and canned cherry pie filling or a homemade cherry sauce. The recipe comes from Midwest Living and I have included my adaptations. 

Ingredients:

• 1 package of regular Oreo cookies ( you will need 2 rows  24 cookies, finely crushed crumbs ) and 3 TB melted butter or 2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs with 1/3 cup melted butter, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 TB. sugar
• 1 pint vanilla or cherry chunk ice cream
• 1 oz. softened cream cheese
• 6 oz. Cool Whip thawed or 1-1/2 cups heavy cream whipped
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-21.oz. can cherry pie filing, chilled or make a homemade cherry sauce (recipe below)
• hot fudge ice cream topping or chocolate flavored syrup

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Use a food processor to make graham cracker or cookie crumb crust, add melted butter and mix well. Pat the crumb mixture in a glass pie pan. Bake 8 minutes. Cool and set aside. 
• Soften ice cream and spoon over cooled crust. Freeze covered 3 hours or until firm.
• In a mixing bowl beat confectioners sugar, cream cheese and Cool Whip or heavy cream whipped.
• Spread evenly over ice cream and return to freezer. Freeze overnight covered with foil. 
• To serve spoon cherry pie filling over pie slice and drizzle with fudge topping.

Homemade Cherry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 can Dark Sweet Cherries, pitted
• 2 TB. cornstarch
• 2 TB. cherry preserves
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract or 1 TB. cherry brandy
• reserved cherry juice

Directions:

• Drain cherries set aside. In a saucepan add reserved cherry juice, cornstarch, cherry preserves and extract.  Whisk to blend well. 
• Cook on low heat until mixture starts to thicken. Add drained cherries to the saucepan and cook 2 minutes more. Add tablespoon cherry brandy, mix and cool. Refrigerate sauce in a covered container until serving.

Bon Appetit!