ice cream cone torte

 
If at first you don't succeed, try try again.  That's what "they" say.  It's true though.  Dreyer's sent me their Slow Churned ice cream and I got really excited to try making something super special with it.  I'd made homemade drumsticks last year, so I wanted to make something else and decided on making an ice cream torte.  The first time I tried making this ice cream torte it was a total fail.  It was just a mess of melted ice cream in a pile once I took the spring pan ring off.  Whoops.  I was ready to just give up, and I threw the whole thing back in the ice cream container, toppings, crust and all, and planned on trying something else.  I gave it a few days and did a bit more research on how to make an ice cream torte and decided to give it a go again.  I'm so glad I did because the second time it turned out perfectly!  I was nervous pulling it out of the pan, but as soon as I took it out I knew I'd done it right.  Huzzah!  I've found that once I fail at something I can give it another go, I just need a few days to regroup and get my mindset back into a positive place.  Such a great feeling to have a success after a failure.  And the best part about this success is... I got to eat ice cream at the end of it!  The best successes end in ice cream, right?  My favorite thing about desserts is that they are best shared, and usually for a celebratory event.  It's so great to come together and enjoy a treat with friends or family.  My mom is going to be in town next weekend for a mini visit, so I'm planning on saving this torte to share with her!




The first time I made this, I mixed chocolate and caramel with the ice cream and I'm pretty sure that caused it to not be able to totally solidify when I tried freezing it, so I'd advise against doing that.
Ingredients:
For the crust: 1 pack of graham crackers (there are 3 per box) 6 waffle cones 1/2 cup melted butter 1/4 cup heath bar bits (if you like)
For the torte: 1 1.5 qt container of ice cream (The first time I used coffee, and the second time I used cookie dough.  Dreyer's is coming out with their holiday flavors next week on the 15th!  Pumpkin and Peppermint.  I'd love to make one of these with pumpkin ice cream and a ginger snap crust, yum!) shell chocolate sauce (the kind that hardens instantly) heath bar bits (if you like) 2 waffle cones spring pan foil
1. Put the waffle cones and graham crackers in food processor and chop until no large bits remain.  Mix with the heath bits and the melted butter. Bring the ice cream out of the freezer and let it melt a bit.  Put it in a bowl so you can mix it up a bit and get it into a more smooth consistency, easier for spreading.
2. Line the spring pan with foil.  This helps immensely with removing the torte once it's frozen solid.  One of the many things that contributed to my first failure was not doing this.  Once it's lined, press your crust mixture into the pan.  Make sure it's pressed in, I used a cup to press it flat.  It should be about 1-1.5 inches up the side of the pan.  Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Spread half the ice cream on the crust, smooth it out, and drizzle some of the hardening chocolate sauce on top, then sprinkle some heath bits.  Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
4. Spread the second half of the ice cream on top of the first layer.  Repeat the chocolate sauce/heath bar bits process on the top and place in the freezer.  Freeze overnight.  
5. When you're ready to serve, release the spring pan and remove the torte from the pan.  This should be super easy because you've lined it with foil.  Peel the foil off of the sides and bottom of the torte.  Use the hardening chocolate sauce, make a line around the top edge of the torte and then sprinkle crumbled waffle cones on top.  To garnish, drizzle some regular chocolate sauce and caramel sauce on, and top with a cherry!
The best thing about this dessert is that you can take one slice, and then pop it back in the freezer and save it for more smiles later!

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.  Thanks for supporting those companies which keep Delightfully Tacky alive and kicking!