Pies
Irish Coffee Ice Cream Pie, served with Whiskey Ganache
A crunchy chocolate crust paired with creamy coffee ice cream and rich whiskey ganache makes this Irish coffee ice cream pie an irresistible treat. Reliable for St. Patrick's Day or (let's be honest) any day!
At a glance
What stands out: A crunchy chocolate crust paired with creamy coffee ice cream and rich whiskey ganache makes this Irish coffee ice cream pie an irresistible treat. Reliable for St. Patrick’s Day or (let’s be honest) any day!
How long it takes: 2 ½ hours (includes freezing time)
Equipment you’ll need: food processor, pie pan, mixing bowl, small saucepan
Servings: 8
This PIE! We have no words. Mainly because we're busy eating a slice right now as we type this. Our mouth is stuffed full of crunchy Oreo crust, creamy coffee ice cream, and smooth, rich whiskey ganache. Our husband is doing sit-ups on the living room floor.
Yeah. We know. But….whiskey ganache!!!!
Mercedes Said:
“Excellent recipe! Rich! Everyone loved it!
We have tried making this pie using other recipes, and they never work out.
This one does require several steps, but it is not difficult.”
You know how some rich, decadent foods look good and then you eat them and realize that they were so NOT worth the calories you just consumed? We hate that. You eat it and then you’re left wondering why in the world you wasted your calories on something so mediocre.
This pie, our friends, is worth EVERY SINGLE STINKING CALORIE. And then some. It’s out of this world. Not trying to toot our own horn here, we're just trying to get the point across that you must make this pie. Especially if you like coffee. If you don’t like coffee, well, you could use vanilla ice cream instead of coffee ice cream.
If you’ve ever had Irish coffee, you probably know that what makes it Irish coffee is a touch of whiskey, sugar and cream. Well, we of course add chocolate (because, chocolate) and the sugar and cream are definitely there in the coffee ice cream.
- Yield: 8
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 5 minutes
- Total: 2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
For Ganache:
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon whiskey
For Crust:
- 24 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo cookies)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
For Filling:
- 1 container (1.5 quarts) coffee ice cream (may only use about 1 quart, depending on size of pie crust)
Method
- Take ice cream out of freezer and set on counter to soften (but don’t let it melt!).
- Make ganache: Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, butter, and espresso powder just up to a simmer over medium high heat. Do not boil. Pour cream mixture over chocolate chips and let set for 1 minute before stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in whiskey. Set aside to cool.
- Next, prepare the crust. In a food processor, blend the chocolate sandwich cookies until the texture resembles coarse meal or crumbs. You don’t want any large pieces. Add the melted butter and blend until well combined.
- Spray a 9- or 10-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray and press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan evenly.
- Place the crust in the freezer and let chill for at least 10 minutes before filling.
- Fill crust with softened ice cream. It should be roughly even with the top of the crust. Smooth the ice cream out on top. Place in freezer and freeze until nearly solid.
- Once it has hardened, pour the ganache over the ice cream and freeze again until the ganache is firm.
- About 15 to 20 minutes prior to serving, remove the pie from the freezer to let it soften slightly. Use a hot knife (run it under hot water) to slice the pie into even wedges. Serve immediately.
Notes
Crust size: You may need fewer cookies if you are using a smaller pie dish or prefer a thinner crust. You could also use chocolate wafer cookies instead of Oreo cookies. You’ll need 1 ½ cups crumbs and 6 tablespoons melted butter.
Serving tip: As a host/hostess, you usually serve yourself last but the first slice of this pie doesn’t always come out the greatest, so go ahead and put yourself to the front of the line and save the pretty slices for your guests.
Cooking tip: Ganache can be slightly temperamental. If it seizes up on you, add a teaspoon of cold water and stir well. Continue to repeat this process until it smooths out.
Alcohol-free: If you don’t want to include whiskey, it won’t be Irish coffee ice cream pie. It will only be coffee ice cream pie, but it will still be rich.
