Chocolate-Cherry Ice Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce

Sauce

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Filling

• 3/4 pound fresh Bing cherries, pitted, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 quart purchased vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

• Chocolate Cookie Crust
  

For sauce:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan; remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth.

Filling:
Combine cherries and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thick syrup forms, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in almond extract. Cool to room temperature.

Place ice cream in large bowl. Fold in cherry mixture and chocolate chips. Pack ice cream mixture into crust. Cover pie and freeze. (Sauce and pie can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate sauce. Keep pie frozen.)

Rewarm sauce over low heat. Cut pie into wedges; serve with sauce.

Chocolate Toffee Ice Cream

Makes about 2 1/3 cups ice cream.

1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
Dash od salt
1/3 Cup Chocolate-covered Toffee Pieces

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and salt. Whisk thoroughly until sugar is dissolved. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. When finished, stir in 1/3 cup chocolate-covered toffee pieces.

Raspberry Cheesecake Shake

Makes 6 servings.

1 (12 ounce) package frozen unsweetened red raspberries, thawed
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
2 (12 ounce) cans or bottles cream soda
Fresh raspberries (optional)

In a blender combine the raspberries, cream cheese, almond extract, half the ice cream, and 1/2 cup of the cream soda. Cover and blend until smooth.

Divide blended mixture among six tall 16-ounce chilled glasses. Add a scoop of the remaining ice cream to each shake. Top each shake with remaining cream soda. Top shake with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.