Wednesday, March 14, 2012

PI (e) DAY

CAPPUCCINO PIE
Dolce di Gelato al Caffe

This from Lidia Bastianich's new TV show*, Italians in America ( or something like that ) From her website
I picked up this simple, delicious, and very Italian cake on a visit to Angelo Brocato’s ice cream and confectionery in New Orleans. I am sure you will want to make this dessert over and over again. If you are going to freeze it, keep the taste fresh by wrapping it tightly in plastic.

For the Crust
12 chocolate graham cracker sheets (about 2 1/3 cups), crushed
( not famous chocolate wafers, but chocolate graham crackers, which are like two dollars cheaper - I did not even know that there was such a thing! )
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons espresso powder
Pinch kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling
1 quart coffee ice cream ( I used an entire 1/2 gallon size of Bryer's - which is not a half gallon.... almost seemed like it could have been even more, but also could be why mine took longer to freeze )
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup sour cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grind together the graham crackers, sugar, espresso powder, and salt in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Add the melted butter with the processor running, and pulse just to combine. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a buttered 8- inch pie plate, making sure the crumbs are evenly distributed. Bake the crust until crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes, then cool completely before filling.

Remove the ice cream from freezer to soften a bit while you make the whipped cream. Whip the cream and sugar in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, to form soft peaks. Add the sour cream, and whisk until just combined. Spread the ice cream in an even layer over the crust. Dollop the whipped- cream mixture on top, and spread upward to a dome shape. Freeze overnight, ( really, I did not let ours freeze enough, it will be better tomorrow ) or until the cream is frozen. To serve, cut with a
sharp knife dipped in hot water.
 

* we have a series of high channel PBS stations now, one called CREATE, that is just fantastic!  Many excellent cooking shows that Food Network and VERY sadly The Cooking Channel just do not show any more. They are all goofy ass contest and the cooking shows that they do show ; other than the Saturday Night line up with The Two Fat Ladies and their daily Ina , are CRAP. 

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