Pumpkin Ice-Cream Pie
Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsThis is for all the non-bakers out there who still have to come up with dessert. Here’s a pie that requires hardly any actual baking, but has all the flavor of traditional pie: Just make a gingersnap crust and mix up a filling of vanilla ice cream, pumpkin puree, and spices.
1-1/2 cups ground gingersnaps (from a 10-ounce bag)
4-1/2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. First, make the crust: Stir together gingersnap crumbs and butter; then press crumbs firmly into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate so that they go all the way up the sides. Bake until edges are golden-brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
3 pints good-quality vanilla ice cream
2-1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin-pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Then make the filling: Remove ice cream from freezer and let sit at room temperature 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, spices, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, 8 minutes.
Put ice cream in the bowl of a standing mixer (or, if using a hand-held mixer, in a large bowl). Add hot pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed, increasing speed as mixture softens. Mix until evenly blended. Pour mixture into crust and spread with spatula. Freeze at least 90 minutes, or until ready to serve.
1 cup sour cream
1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
Garnish: Pecan halves
About 30 minutes before serving, remove pie from freezer. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and maple syrup. Just before serving, spread topping over pie in pretty swirls and decorate with pecans.