Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie

A creamy jumble of rich little nibbles of cheesecake and dreamy, old-fashioned strawberry ice cream, topped with fresh berries.  Slice of summer, anyone?

Hot diggety dog!  It's almost summer! 

Lots of long, hot, sunny afternoons have already laid their glories upon us.  Feelin' good, feelin' fine! 

♪♫♥ Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days........

And, of course, all those incredible, edible odes to the joys of summertime munching pleasures.  Like strawberries.

Last weekend I made the easy-peasiest, melty-goodnessiest, tastes-like-summer dessert. 

Wham bam, thank-you ma'am, I already-finished-making-dessert. Yay, me!

Sure, sure, it's a cheaters kind of dessert, using store bought ice cream and frozen cheesecake.  But isn't simple prep part of the beauty of summer desserts?

The best strawberry ice cream you can get your hands on, melted just barely enough to mix in some chunks of good-quality frozen cheesecake, atop a graham crust.  That's it!  Pop in the freezer to firm up.  Then slice and top with sweetened, sliced, fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, if you so please.  Makes you want to give it a try, doesn't it?

I used old-fashioned, real-deal, D Dutchman Dairy Strawberry Ice-Cream.  D Dutchman Dairy operates in the idyllic little lakeside berg of Sicamous and in 2004 the Vancouver Sun newspaper reviewed them, saying, "B.C.'s Best Ice Cream". 

For the chopped up cheesecake that gets thrown into the ice cream, I used a President's Choice 600g Original New York-style cheesecake.  

"I daresay there is something sublimely therapeutic about chopping perfectly creamy cheesecake into bite-size nuggets, then swirling into slightly softened, silky strawberry ice cream", said she, as a soft smile spread across her face.

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 Adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron for
The Last Wonton.  Thanks Chelsea!

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STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM PIE - Makes 1, 9 or 10-inch pie

I always bake my graham crusts, because I think it gives the crust a better flavour and texture.  That said, an unbaked graham crust is easier and always tasty.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
2 litres (or quarts) good-quality Strawberry Ice Cream
1 x 500 to 600 gram (approx. 17 to 21 ounces) good-quality, prepared, frozen cheesecake

Topping:
2 - 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 - 3 tablespoons sugar
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

 

For crust: Preheat oven to 375F.  Mix graham crumbs and sugar in bowl.  Stir in butter to evenly combine.  Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up sides, just a bit, of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

For filling:  Allow the ice cream to soften for 5-10 minutes, or a bit longer if necessary.  Plop into large bowl and mix as well as can be with a wooden spoon.  Coarsely chop cheesecake into large, bite-sized pieces.  Gently mix the cheesecake pieces into the slightly softened ice cream.

Swoop mixture over your prepared, cooled, graham crust and smooth out.  Cover and put in the freezer to set at least 6 hours, or until completely firm.

For topping: Mix sliced fresh strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar and let macerate for at least 30 minutes.

Cut ice cream pie into slices, top with a spoonful of fresh sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.  Smile. Enjoy!

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