Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Cake

This dessert is a celebration waiting to happen! Make it ahead, and you can have a secret in the freezer ready to surprise someone.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 16  cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine
• 1  quart  cherry ice cream or 1  quart vanilla ice cream, softened
• 8  cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely chopped
• 1  cup  miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1  quart vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1⁄2 cup  fudge sauce
•  sweetened whipped cream, if desired
• 12  fresh cherries, with stems

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Place 16 cookies in food processor. Cover and process until finely ground. Add butter; cover and process until mixed. Press in springform pan, 9x3 inches. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until firm. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. Wrap outside of springform pan with foil. Spread cherry ice cream over cooled crust. Freeze 30 minutes.
3. Sprinkle chopped cookies and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips over cherry ice cream; press slightly. Spread vanilla ice cream over top. Drop fudge sauce over ice cream in small spoonfuls; swirl slightly into ice cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips; press slightly. Freeze about 8 hours until firm.
4. To serve, let stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove side of pan. Cut dessert into wedges. Top each wedge with whipped cream and cherry.