Happy National Ice Cream Day! You can celebrate even if you don’t live in the USA. It’s always a good day to celebrate ice cream! I only ever make Ice Cream Sundae Pie in December but it’s a great dessert any time.

Ice Cream Sundae Pie has been a tradition for Christmas dinner in our house for longer than I can remember. I’m sure the first time my mom made it, she was thinking of saving time and work, since holiday dinners can be complicated and this can be made ahead. But everyone loved it, so the tradition continues. I’m sure not everyone who lives where December is cold would think first of ice cream for Christmas, but it works for us. If you live where December is hot, this might just be your new holiday tradition! Or make it today and think of it as Christmas in July. Worldwide, of course, most people don’t celebrate Christmas (according to Wikipedia, 32% of the world’s population are Christian), but don’t let that stop you. As I said earlier, it’s always a good day to celebrate ice cream!

Please note: How much ice cream it takes depends on the size of the dish you use. I use a 9″ one with an average depth. The one I used to use was shallower; the same amount of ice cream would have overflowed. Since at some stage or another, whether during construction or serving, the ice cream will soften, you do want to avoid overfilling.

Ingredients:

½ box Nilla wafers

1 jar Mrs. Richardson’s hot fudge

2.5 (14-oz/400 g) containers Haagen Dasz vanilla ice cream

9 Maraschino cherries

Preparation:

1.) Move the ice cream from the freezer to the fridge about a half hour before starting assembly. It will soften just enough to be easier to work with. Line a shallow pie plate with the Nilla wafers. Use broken pieces to fill in any significant gaps. Warm the fudge in the microwave or in a warm water bath, until it flows a little better but is not hot.

2.) Dig a large, somewhat flat scoop of ice cream and lay it gently on the wafers. Repeat until you have a rough, shallow layer of ice cream. This should take about one full container of the ice cream.

3.) Put a bit less than half of the fudge sauce on top of the layer of ice cream. I like to put the fudge into a pastry bag & pipe it on in a sort of swirly pattern. You can create a makeshift pastry bag by cutting a small hole in the corner of a plastic bag. Or, you can use a spoon to dollop the fudge instead. There’s no “right” way to do it; just go with what looks right to you. If your ice cream is getting soupy, pop the pie into the freezer for a half hour or so to firm it up again before proceeding.

4.) Scoop the rest of the ice cream over that first layer of fudge. Pipe or dollop the rest of the fudge over the second layer of ice cream.

5.) Gently press the cherries into the top of the pie, just firmly enough that they won’t roll off.

6.) If your ice cream has become soupy again, pop the pie in the freezer for an hour or so before covering. To cover, stick a few toothpicks in the top, then gently wrap with plastic wrap and return to the freezer. The toothpicks hold the covering up high enough to keep the fudge from sticking.

7.) When ready to serve, move the pie to the fridge for half an hour or so. This will soften it up just enough to be easier to cut. Fill a mug or pot with hot water to park the knife in before and after cutting each slice. A hot knife does a better job.