In one of our Family Reunion Cook Books, my aunt and my cousin submitted a recipe for “Malt Shoppe Pie.”  Essentially, ice cream, cool whip, and crushed malt balls spread into a chocolate cookie crust.  Very simple, and very yummy!

The cook books are well over 20 years old and none of us use cool whip, anymore, (or store-bought cookie crusts, for that matter) but a substitute of whipped cream and a homemade cookie crust took mere seconds.

And so worth those few seconds!

As with any cooking, the quality of the ingredients dictates the final result.  One can make an acceptable dessert using acceptable ingredients, or make a superior dessert using superior ingredients.

I have my feet planted in both worlds.  Sometimes “acceptable” is perfectly fine.  Other times, one wants to take it over the top. I made a variation of this a few years ago and put a chocolate ganache on top.  That was taking it over the top.

This version used really good ingredients – premium vanilla ice cream, real heavy cream (look at the ingredients on the next carton of heavy cream you buy – if it lists anything other than cream – don’t buy it!) malt balls without partially hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup, and vanilla bean vanilla wafers.

It makes a difference.

Malt Shoppe Pie

• 2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 qt vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 10 oz malt balls, crushed

Mix crumbs and butter and press into bottom of a 9″ springform pan.  Bake at 350° about 10 minutes.  Cool.

Soften ice cream.  Whip cream and blend with ice cream.  Mix in malt balls.

Spread into cooked crust, cover with wrap and freeze.

You can cover with a ganache, sprinkle more crushed malt balls on top, or just serve it as-is.

It really does rock!