White Chocolate Ice Cream with Raspberry Sauce

Make Raspberry Sauce while ice cream mixture chills. That way they’ll both be ready at the same time.

• 3 4-ounce white chocolate baking bars
• 3¼ cups whole milk, divided
• ½ cup sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Raspberry Sauce
• Quick Chocolate Sauce (optional)

1. Pour water to depth of 1 inch into bottom of a double boiler over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer; place chocolate and ¼ cup milk in top of double boiler over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat, and cool 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook remaining 3 cups milk and ¼ cup sugar in a heavy non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 8 minutes or just until it begins to steam (do not boil); remove from heat.
3. Whisk together eggs and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl. Gradually whisk 1 cup hot milk mixture into egg mixture; gradually whisk egg mixture into remaining hot milk mixture.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. (A candy thermometer should register 160° or higher.) Stir in vanilla.
5. Remove from heat, and pour mixture through a non-aluminum fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture. Cover and chill 2 hours or until cold.
6. Pour mixture into freezer container of a 1-gallon electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Instructions and times will vary.) Serve with Raspberry Sauce or Quick Chocolate Sauce

Yield: Makes 8 servings.

Raspberry Sauce

• 1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Process berries in a blender or food processor 30 seconds or until smooth. Press through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a saucepan; discard pulp and seeds.
2. Stir together sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl, and add to pureed raspberries; stir in vanilla. Bring raspberry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring often, 2 minutes; remove from heat. Pour into a small bowl or cruet; cover and chill 1 hour.

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Quick Chocolate Sauce

• ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons half-and-half
• 1 4-ounce semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

1. Microwave half-and-half and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to 1½ minutes or until smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.

Yield: Makes about ¾ cup

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Chocolate-Chestnut Mousse Cake

This stunning dessert is a simple-to-make icebox cake. Chocolate shavings are easily made with a vegetable peeler.

• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 1 7.4-ounce jar peeled roasted chestnuts
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao), melted and slightly cooled, plus more for shavings
• 1½ cups cold heavy cream
• 24 chocolate wafer cookies (from 1 package)

1. Lightly coat an 8-inch round cake pan with oil, and line with plastic, leaving a 4-inch overhang.
2. Finely grind chestnuts in a food processor. Heat ground chestnuts, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbles form at edge.
3. Whisk together yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium heatproof bowl.
4. Slowly add hot chestnut mixture to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return to pan; cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thick, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer. Add vanilla and butter. Beat on medium speed until cool, about 5 minutes. Stir half the chestnut mixture into melted chocolate.
5. Beat 1¼ cups cream until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half the whipped cream into plain chestnut mixture and the other half into chocolate-chestnut mixture.
6. Pour chestnut mousse into prepared pan. Cover with 12 chocolate wafers, working in a circular pattern. Top with chocolate-chestnut mousse and remaining 12 chocolate wafers. Fold plastic overhang over top to cover cake. Refrigerate overnight.
7. Uncover cake; place a platter on top, flip, and unmold. Remove plastic. Beat remaining ¼ cup cream until soft peaks form. Spread on top of cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Makes one 8-inch cake; Serves 8.

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Mud Pie

• 24 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), finely crushed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 pints vanilla ice cream
• 2 pints coffee ice cream
• 12 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), coarsely crushed
• 1 cup bottled fudge sauce, at room temperature
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate sauce, for drizzling

1. Crust: Finely crush cookies with food processor. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-size bowl, stir melted butter into cookie crumbs until moistened. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
2. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
3. Filling: Remove ice creams from freezer; soften for 5 minutes. Transfer vanilla ice cream to a bowl; stir until good spreading consistency. Repeat with coffee ice cream. Spread vanilla ice cream into cooled crust and spread level. Sprinkle with coarsely crushed cookie crumbs and spread coffee ice cream over top; spread level. Freeze for 2 hours.
4. Carefully spread top of pie with fudge sauce; sprinkle with ½ cup of the almonds. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
5. Remove pie from freezer. Let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
6. Meanwhile, whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until medium peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie. Sprinkle with remaining almonds and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

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Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Caramel Pecan Sauce

• 1½ cups gingersnap cookies; crushed
• ¼ cup unsalted butter or margarine; melted
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pint vanilla Ice Cream; softened
• ¾ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup pumpkin pie filling
• 1 cup whipping cream; whipped
  1 cup caramel Ice Cream topping
  ½ cup pecan pieces

1. In small bowl, combine crushed cookies and melted butter; blend well. Press firmly in bottom and up sides of 9 inch pie pan. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl stir ½ teaspoon cinnamon into Ice Cream. Spoon into crust. Freeze.
3. In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, cloves and pumpkin; blend well. Fold in Whipped Cream. Spoon over Ice Cream in crust.
4. Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
5. In small saucepan, combine caramel topping and pecans. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Serve warm over pie.

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Frozen Maple Pecan Mousse Pie

• 1 Chocolate Crumb Pie Shell
• 3 eggs; separated
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ cups maple syrup
• 2 cups Kool Whip
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate; shaved

1. In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks until lemon colored. Add salt and maple syrup. Cook in top of double boiler until yolk mixture thickens. Cool.
2. In another bowl beat egg whites until stiff.
3. Combine maple mixture, egg whites and twp-thirds of the Kool Whip, using a folding motion.
4. Fold in ¾ cups of the nut meats. Scrape into baked Chocolate Crumb Pie shell.
5. Cover with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with remaining nut meats and chocolate shavings.
6. Freeze for a minimum of four hours.

Chocolate Crumb Pie Shell

• 1½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• ¼ cup unsalted butter; softened
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix ingredients until thoroughly blended.
3. Press into a 9-inch pie pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes. Cool.

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