Summertime Ice Cream Pie: The Perfect Refreshing Dessert for The Dog Days of Summer

Tuesday, August 21, 2012


90+ degrees plus no air conditioning = no baking. However, my sweet tooth doesn't cease when the apex of summer encroaches. My solution? This brilliant idea of doing ice cream pies!
The idea itself isn't novel -- we of course do have the classic mud pie or ice cream bomb of course -- but mine is super easy and more refreshing, guaranteed. I take store-bougth pie crust and layer it with two kinds of sorbet -- here I did a layer of sweet peach sorbet and tangier blood orange sorbet right on top -- and then top it with a generous sprinkling of fresh fruit cut into bite-size portions for easy eating. Pop the whole pie in the freezer until set, about 4 hours, and you have a wonderfully refreshing, hydrating, gorgeously presented super easy summer dessert.

You can really do whatever combination you like. I love this recipe though and it's combination of fruits and sorbets, so please do give this one exactly a try -- you won't be disappointed! Sweet peach and blood organge sorbets are topped with freshly cut peaches for creamy sweetness, tangy kiwi for color and a punch of acid, and gorgeous plump boysenberries for amazing contrast color and super tart flavor. Housing the whole pie is a simple graham cracker crust. This dessert is so easy and so beautiful, especially just before you serve it as the fruit on top collects the gorgeous kiss of frost making the fruit glisten. I'm super excited to share this dessert with you. Make it today! Great and easy enough to get the kids involved as well!
Happy summer!



Summer Ice Cream Pie
1 store-bought graham cracker pie crust (or make your own)
1/2 pint peach sorbet (recommend: Hagan Daaz)
1/2 pint blood orange sorbet
1 ripe but still firm peach
1/4 pint boysenberries (can substitute with blackberries or even blueberries)
1 large kiwi

Take the sorbets and leave out at room temperature 5 minutes to soften. Remove the packaging from the pie crust and set aside while you prepare the fruit.

Peel and remove the seed of the peach, then cut fruit up into bite-sized pieces. Peel the kiwi and slice into bite-sized pieces. Wash the berries and set aside.

When sorbet is soft enough to be easily scoopable, take the peach sorbet and add it into the pie crust, using a spatula or frosting spatula to help smooth it out into an even layer. Take the blood orange sorbet and using most of it -- about 2 tablespoons will be left over so it doesn't spill over -- add it into one even layer right on top of the peach sorbet. No need to freeze in between; you can add them one after the other if you work quickly enough. Top with the fruit, sprinkling it about in one generous layer all on top and over to the sides, lightly pressing it into the sorbet. Place in freezer uncovered for at least 4 hours or until set and frozen.

To serve, remove from freezer and let stand 2-3 minutes before slicing. Then using a sharp chef's knife, slice into it like you would any pie, then carefully remove it with a pie server and serve immediately.

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