Brownie Ice Cream Pie

A few weeks ago I was challenged with making my brother his birthday dessert, which he requested be a surprise. I wanted to make something I knew he would truly love, but that was special enough to sing over. And this easy and sinfully good Brownie Ice Cream Pie was born.

I started with a delicious brownie recipe from Baked bakery in New York that I found via Pinterest. It is super chocolately and perfectly decadent.

Adding to the decadence of the chewy brownie, is the top layer of Vanilla ice cream, crumbled oreos and chocolate ganache.

This is what birthdays are all about. 

Brownie Ice Cream Pie

It's important that you use the best ingredients possible for this recipe. When making the brownies, choose high quality butter and chocolate or the best boxed mix available(such as Ghiradelli) . I chose to use Haagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream, but you could use any flavor you want from Mint chip to Coffee. If you have the time, homemade ice cream would really add to the specialness. It's also best to make this ahead of time, I made this a day before my brother's birthday party.

Ingredients:

1 recipe for brownies (here's the one I used-which I split into two round pie plates) 

1 pint of really good ice cream

1 C crushed oreo cookies (mini or regular oreos work)

1/2 C chocolate ganache (recipe below)

Bake the brownies in a greased and lined pie plate. Allow the brownies to cool completely, which will take anywhere from 1-2 hours. Once cooled, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow to sit for about 15 minutes to soften. Scoop the ice cream onto the brownie and using a spatula, spread it over the entire thing. It's ok if the ice cream is melting in some places, it will just re-freeze later. Sprinkle the ice cream with the crushed oreos and a dusting of ground cinnamon for an extra punch of flavor. Place the pie into the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or overnight if possible (cover it with plastic wrap once it begins to set). Make the chocolate ganache, spoon into a small plastic bag and snip off a small corner. Squeeze stripes of the ganache over the pie. Return to the freezer and keep the pie frozen until ready to eat. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes prior to serving, using a hot knife will help to cut the brownies easier. 

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 C heavy whipping cream

4 ounces dark chocolate morsels or chunks

Heat the cream to a light simmer, watch it carefully to avoid scorching. In a heat proof bowl, pour the warmed cream over the chocolate. Stir gently. The chocolate will begin to melt gradually, keep stirring until it becomes shiny and looks like chocolate sauce. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.