Strawberry Ice Cream Pie

Strawberry ice cream pie is the make-ahead dessert that does the heavy work in the freezer. Crushed shortbread cookies seasoned with cinnamon and ginger form a buttery, cookie-style crust. Scoops of strawberry ice cream get mounded on top, then drizzled with warm chocolate fudge for a striking finish.

The spiced cookie crust is what sets this version apart. The cinnamon and ginger don’t shout, they just add a faint warmth that flatters the cool berry ice cream beautifully. Use a butter shortbread (the plain Walkers-style kind) rather than a sweet sugar cookie. Shortbread holds its shape and crunch under the moisture of the ice cream, where softer cookies turn to mush.

Freezing the crust for ten minutes before adding the ice cream helps the butter solidify and the crumbs lock together. Skip this step and the crust crumbles when you slice.

Mounding scoops instead of spreading the ice cream smooth is a deliberate choice. The dome of separate scoops creates visual drama and gives the warm fudge ribbons something to drape over. A flat layer of ice cream just looks like a pie, but mounded scoops look like dessert.

The fudge needs to be warm but not hot when drizzled. Microwave for short bursts and stir between each. Hot fudge melts the ice cream on contact. Just barely warm fudge sets quickly into glossy ribbons.

Pro Tips

• Use a metal spoon dipped in hot water for clean ice cream scoops.
• Drizzle the fudge from the tip of a teaspoon for thin, elegant lines. A heavy spoon makes blobs.
• Top with chocolate-dipped strawberries for an over-the-top finish.
• Pull the pie from the freezer 5 to 10 minutes before slicing for clean wedges.

Variations

• Swap strawberry ice cream for raspberry sorbet for a brighter, less creamy version.
• Use chocolate cookie crumbs instead of shortbread for a chocolate-strawberry pie.
• Stir a tablespoon of crushed freeze-dried strawberries into the crust for an extra berry punch.