pi(ce cream) day

I am interrupting the not-so-regularly scheduled post of Meatless Monday to celebrate National Pi Day.  If you don’t know about Pi Day, consider this your education on special days/excuses for me to make dessert.  Specifically – PIE!

National Pi Day is not just my excuse to make pie every year.  It is a celebration of mathematics, which surprisingly has become one of my favorite subjects.  (I know, I teach PE, but I have seriously thought about getting a certification in math.  I know, I’m a huge nerd…)  Pi – or the circumference of a circle to its diameter – is 3.14… (there are a lot of numbers after it that I’ve never taken the time to memorize).  And, if you haven’t noticed, today is March 14 – or 3.14!  Therefore, Pi Day!  So, every year on March 14, I make a pie.

[Story:  I was making my pie yesterday and thought it might be easier for my coworkers to eat it if I made it into a square.  I didn’t think about that I actually needed to be a circle until this morning.  Duh.  I swear, sometimes my brain just doesn’t work.]

In the past, I have made Chocolate Pudding Pie with Oreo Crust and Peanut Butter Pie with Oreo Crust.  Both delicious and super simple, and Lord knows I am scared to death of making actual pie due to it’s crust.  Someday though.  And maybe some day I’ll make those 2 recipes again and pass them along to you…

Since I have started a new hobby of ice cream making in the past year, I decided to make an ice cream pie (with Oreo crust, of course).  This pie is just as simple as the other two, and hopefully just as delicious.

Ice Cream Pie
Serves approximately 8 people, but maybe more if you cut the pieces small enough.

3 cups of ice cream, any flavor you choose (I made Mint Cookie Ice Cream to put in the middle, but you’ll have to wait until Thursday for that recipe)
24 Oreo sandwich cookies (I used mint Oreos, to make it extra minty, but peanut butter or just regular ol’ Oreos would be great too)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Chocolate Magic shell, as much or as little as you want (Yeah, I had some, but it was empty when I went to put it on the pie.  Ooops.)

Set ice cream out on counter for 15 minutes to let soften.

Place cookies in a food processor or blender and chop/grind until crumbly.  You can have a few big pieces in there, but you want it to mostly be crumbs.  Place cookie crumbs into a separate bowl and add melted butter.  Stir to combine.  Press cookie mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.

Spread softened (not melted) ice cream into pie pan until sooth on top.  Cover with plastic wrap and place pie into freezer and freeze for at least an hour or overnight.

Drizzle chocolate Magic Shell on top of pie.  Place back into the freezer for 30 more minutes or serve immediately.  If you do refreeze, make sure to set it out for a little while so you can cut it.  (I broke a plastic knife trying to cut mine… oops!)

 
One person oohed + aahed while she ate and another was super excited about the Oreo pie crust (always a fav), so that made me happy!  I didn’t get a chance to try it but a bite of the ice cream. The crust really makes this pie, but I have to admit the ice cream  is pretty darn good also.  But, I guess you’ll just have to wait until Thursday to see for yourself. ;o)

Enjoy!