HOW SWEET IT IS!!

Well, here I sit with all of the ingredients to make snow cream but I am missing one very important ingredient..you guessed it SNOW. We have had flurries for 3 days but we only have enough snow on the ground that would be knee -high to a grass hopper...nowhere near enough for snow cream. I am going to make homemade ice cream instead...I know you are thinking..homemade ice cream ..in the winter...when it is 10 degrees outside? Hey, I am not talking churning, ice cream salt, keep adding ice ( the way my sweet Daddy used to make it) . I am talking automatic Krups...place your frozen work bowl on the machine, add your mixture , place in your paddle and turn the switch. In 20-30 minutes you have homemade ice cream....but of course we just can't have homemade ice cream without something to go with it. One of my favorite desserts is similar to Chili's Paradise Pie. I have ordered it one time when it came with a 2 dinners for 20.00 deal....I am very cheap when it comes to dinner..much less dessert.. I keep thinking I can make this at home...( this gives me more money to buy purses...) So I have came up with my own version and here it goes...This version contains pecans...Pecans to Southerners is like Manna to the Israelites...a gift from God.

Crust
6 Tablespoons of melted butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups of graham crackers
1/1-2 cups of chocolate chips ( semi-sweet)
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Dixieland Pie

First we are going to start by making a graham cracker crust by taking the melted butter, sugar, graham cracker crumbs and mixing these all together. Press into the bottom of a 8x8 or 9x9 square baking pan. Next sprinkle the choc chips and pecans over the graham cracker crust. Now here is where I take a short cut but if you are feeling like Martha Stewart by all means do not take this short cut and make the cookie mix from scratch. I use a pouch of Betty Crocker Choc Chip cookie mix and use the instructions on the package ( i opt for the one with vegetable oil instead of butter) and spread this over the graham cracker, choc chip and pecan mixture. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes until the pie is light brown. Remove from oven and let cool. While this is baking in the oven you can make your homemade ice cream.

Homemade Ice Cream

Make sure your work bowl is good and frozen

2 eggs ( yes there are raw eggs in this recipe make sure they are fresh and not cracked)
2/3 cups of sugar
2 cups of milk ( the real stuff..no 2% business)
1 3/4 cups of heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and cream colored. The egg and sugar mixture should fall back on itself in ribbons. It will be very light colored and thick. Add milk, heavy whipping cream and vanilla. Mix well.
Take the mixture and pour into your ice cream machine,place in your paddle and turn it on. I let mine run for 20-30 minutes until it is the consistency I want. ( It will never freeze past a mixture similar to a frosty at Wendy's.) I do not like ice cream that is very frozen. I sometimes serve it when it is at this stage or if you want to make it ahead of time or like it more firm scoop out the ice cream and place it in a freezer safe container and place in the freezer until you are ready. Since you will be adding this onto a warm pie you might want to freeze it a bit.

I serve the pie in individual cast irons skillets ( sidebar... my good buddy Suzi and her daughter came from Austin to visit and I served this dessert...they loved it. She left my home headed for the airport with a bag of left over fried chicken in her purse ..not sure how she explained that one going through security and good thing..her plane was delayed ) back to the serving instructions....

I place a piece of the pie in individual cast iron skillets ( if you do not have cast iron skillets just use a oven safe bowl or plate) let the pie warm back up and remove from oven when it is warm but not too hot to the touch.( You do not want to cook the roof of your mouth!! ) Take a big 'ole scoop or two or three and place on top of the pie. You can now add chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, whipped topping and a cherry on top. If sprinkles are your thing...go for it...would not suggest gummy worms

If you are wondering why I named this Dixieland Pie...here is the reason....once you put a piece of that warm, gooey pie topped with homemade ice cream in your mouth...you have experienced pure Southern Comfort.

And remember Never Trust a Skinny Cook,

Kathy