Pile-It-High Strawberry Ice Cream Pie

"‘Ice cream’ and ‘pie’ are two of my favourite words. When the idea came to me to combine them to create a very special dessert it was a no-brainer. This quickly became a family favourite! You can change the topping to use whatever fruit is in season – for me, the combination of roasted and fresh strawberries works every time."

INGREDIENTS

• Serves 6-8
• 300g shortbread or digestive biscuits
• 150g unsalted butter, melted 
• 250g cream cheese, softened 
• 395g tin sweetened condensed milk

• 250g mascarpone

• 2 tsp grated lemon zest 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 tbs icing sugar, sifted

Strawberry Sauce:

• 500g strawberries, hulled, halved if large 
• 100g icing sugar 

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 23cm x 3cm deep loose-bottomed round tart tin. 
2. Whizz the biscuits in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Add the butter and process to combine. Press the mixture evenly into the base and side of the tin. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up, then bake for 10 minutes until pale golden. Allow to cool completely. 
3. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Gradually add the condensed milk, mascarpone, lemon zest and 1 tsp of the vanilla, beating until thick and combined. Pour into the tin and freeze for 4 hours. 
4. Whip the cream, icing sugar and remaining vanilla to soft peaks. Spread over the pie and return to the freezer for 1 hour. 
5. Meanwhile, for the strawberry sauce, toss half the strawberries with the icing sugar. Spread onto a baking paper-lined tray and sprinkle 1⁄4 cup (60ml) cold water. Bake for 15 minutes until the berries are starting to collapse and releasing lots of juice. Toss with the remaining strawberries then chill for 30 minutes to thicken. 
6. Serve with the strawberry sauce spooned over the top. 

Recipe reproduced courtesy of ABC Books, from Valli Little’s My Kind of Food, published April 2017. Photography by Alan Benson and styling by David Morgan.