Bountiful Hot Fudge Sundae Pie

Leslie in Texas's Note:

I've made this pie several times over the past twenty years and everyone always raves about it. It's especially good in the hot summer months after a BBQ or cookout. It's originally from an August 1981 issue of Bon Appetit magazine in a feature entitled "Cool Desserts". I've used both the Oreo crumbs in the box or the sleeve of chocolate wafer cookies by Nabisco and crush them in my processor

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

Chocolate Cookie Crumb Crust

• 1 ¼ cups chocolate wafer crumbs
• ¼ cup finely groundtoasted almonds or ¼ cup walnuts or ¼ cup pecans
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , sifted
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 1 cup whipping cream
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

Filling

• 1 quart rich vanilla ice cream , softened
• 1 quart rich chocolate ice cream , softened
• ½ cup whipping cream , whipped
• coarsely chopped toasted nuts (garnish)
• maraschino cherry , with stems rinsed and drained (garnish)

Directions:

1. For Crust.
2. Combine crumbs,nuts and sugar in small bowl and mix well.
3. Pour melted butter over mixture and toss lightly until well blended.
4. Press mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of 9- to 10-inch pie plate.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.
6. For Sauce.
7. Combine sugar,cocoa,and instant coffee in medium saucepan.
8. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream and blend to smooth paste.
9. Add remaining cream, blending well.
10. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely disolved.
11. Add butter and cook until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes; keep warm.
12. (Can be prepared ahead, covered and refrigerated. Reheat before using.).
13. For Filling.
14. Spread half of softened vanilla ice cream evenly over crust and freeze.
15. Drizzle half of hot fudge over top (fudge will solidify).
16. Spread remaining vanilla ice cream over fudge;return to freezer to firm.
17. Scoop balls from chocolate ice cream and arrange over vanilla ice cream.
18. (Can be prepared ahead to this point and frozen for several days, well wrapped. Reheat fudge sauce and whip cream before proceeding.).
19. Drizzle with remaining fudge sauc,top with small mounds of whipped cream,decorate with nuts and cherries and serve immediately.