Chocolate Pecan Ice Cream Pie with Bourbon Butterscotch & Pretzel Crust
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
An incredibly decadent dream of a dessert from Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez. My only change was to make this as six individual pies rather than one big one. And as I write this, there's one left in my freezer just calling out to be eaten.
Ingredients
For the bourbon butterscotch
  • 200g dark brown muscovado sugar
  • 240ml double cream
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp bourbon (or another favourite tipple)
  • pinch flaky sea salt
For the chocolate-coated pecans
  • 125g pecan halves
  • 100g dark chocolate, chopped
  • pinch flaky sea salt
For the pie
  • 100g pretzel twists
  • 115g unsalted butter
  • 60g dark brown muscovado sugar
  • 1 x quantity bourbon butterscotch (recipe above)
  • 1 x quantity chocolate coated pecans (recipe above)
  • 750ml of your favourite vanilla bean ice cream, slightly softened
Instructions
  1. Start by making the butterscotch. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cream and butter, stirring to combine. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a brisk simmer and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the alcohol and salt. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. To make the chocolate coated pecans, preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Line two trays with baking parchment, spread out the pecans in an even layer on one tray then toast for 7 - 9 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the oven (leaving it on for the pie base - see below) and combine the toasted pecans and chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, stirring until the nuts are evenly coated with melted chocolate. Spread over your second prepared tray, sprinkle with salt and refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. To make the pie, line a tray that will fit in your freezer with baking parchment and place six round metal dessert rings on top (mine were 8cm in diameter). You could also use a 22cm round cake tin.
  4. Blitz the pretzels in a food processor until you have mostly fine crumbs. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then continue cooking until golden and toasty. Allow to cool a couple of minutes. Stir the sugar into the pretzel crumbs, followed by the browned butter then divide this mixture between your six dessert rings, pressing down firmly so you have a flat layer of crust. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
  5. To assemble the pies, pour 1 - 2 tbsp bourbon butterscotch over the top of each pie crust. Freeze one hour. Divide the vanilla ice cream between the dessert rings, smoothing as flat as possible. Top each ring with a few chocolate coated pecans then freeze for one hour before serving.
  6. To serve, run a sharp knife round the bottom of each ring to loosen the base then press each individual pie up and out of its mould. Serve with a jug of gently rewarmed butterscotch for spooning over the top - the heat will start to soften the ice cream making for an even more delicious experience.
Notes
This combination is so incredibly delicious, it would be hard to beat. But next time I'm trying it out with homemade peanut butter ice cream and roasted, chocolate-coated peanuts on top. Just saying.
Recipe by thelittleloaf at http://www.thelittleloaf.com/2015/02/09/chocolate-pecan-ice-cream-pie-bourbon-butterscotch-pretzel-crust/