Raspberry brownie ice-cream pie

We recently threw a pickling party, in what may now be an annual tradition for us, and I wanted to make a dessert that was new and Spring-y. And nothing says warmer temperatures than a good ol' ice cream pie. Of course, on the day of the pickling party, it did in fact drop down to 7 C (44 F), which might be a bit chilly for ice cream. Nevertheless, I whittled down the ice cream pie choices to this one, as I was intrigued by the combination of raspberry sherbet and layers of brownies.  

Recipe

from Bon Appétit DessertsBrownies½ cup unsalted butter, diced2 tbsp freshly brewed strong coffee8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped2 large eggs¾ cup sugar1 tsp vanilla extract¼ cup unbleached all purpose flourlarge pinch of saltPie1 quart raspberry sherbet or sorbet, slightly softened1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softenedChocolate crumb crust1-9 oz package chocolate wafer cookies, crushed to crumbs6 tbsp unsalted butter, meltedChocolate Truffle Sauce½ cup plus 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream¼ cup unsalted butter, diced12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate1 tsp vanilla extractBrownies: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 F. Line 8x8x2" metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Butter foil. Stir ½ cup butter and coffee in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts and mixture comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Cool 5 minutes.Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate mixture, then flour and salt. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake brownies until cracked around edges, about 25 minutes. Cool. Cover and chill overnight. Cut brownies into ⅓" pieces.Chocolate crumb crust: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 F. Butter 9" diameter springform pan with 2¾" high sides. Mix crumbs and melted butter in medium bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and 1" up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.Chocolate Truffle Sauce: Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla and whisk until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth. Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cool, cover and chill. Before using, rewarm over medium-low heat.Pie: Spread raspberry sherbet in prepared crust. Sprinkle half of brownie pieces over. Stir 1 cup chocolate truffle sauce in medium saucepan over low heat until just warm. Drizzle ½ cup warm sauce over brownies. Spread vanilla ice cream over. Sprinkle remaining brownie pieces over, then drizzle ½ cup warm sauce over. Freeze pie until just firm, about 1 hour. Wrap and freeze pie overnight.Let pie stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Remove pan sides. Stir remaining chocolate sauce in medium saucepan over low heat until just warm. Cut pie into wedges and serve, passing warm sauce separately.

Musings

A few notes on preparation: We used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate for the brownies and semisweet chocolate for the truffle sauce. I didn't have access to freshly brewed coffee (shockingly), so I used instant coffee.As I was making it, I was fully expecting it to be over-the-top (multiple layers of brownies drizzled with chocolate sauce would seem to suggest that). However, it was surprisingly well-balanced. The raspberry sherbet really made the dessert--it added a nice freshness and punch of fruity flavour, preventing it from getting overly sweet and rich from all the chocolate. D noted that the brownies pieces could have been smaller, which I agree with, as I was not very diligent/patient with cutting the pieces small enough.