Pink Lemonade Pie

Now, this. This is one of those fabulous treats everyone should have in their repertoire. Perfect for too-hot-to-bake days (especially if you buy the crust!) Awesome for company. And kids of all ages gobble it up. Believe me, even kids in their 30's.

It might sound weird, combining lemonade concentrate with ice cream. But think creamsicle, only pink. Think sweet-tart-sweet. Think refreshing-cold. I am so sick of hot weather!!!

A tip: For this recipe you need to soften your ice cream, but you know how it goes. You put the container on the counter, and the edges melt while the center stays frozen. Instead, think outside the box.

I cut mine to size (roughly 2/3 of a 1.5 quart container to get 1 quart - I put the rest in a container in the freezer). Then chopped it up into large even-sized chunks. This way the quart will soften more evenly, and more quickly. You only want it as soft as you need it to mix with the other ingredients. You don't want it melted.
Pink lemonade is a glorious thing in the summer. Ice cream, a revelation. Cool Whip, a little strange but you know you love it. This pie makes a dang good licking spoon when you're done stirring!

Pink Lemonade Pie (print recipe)

Graham Cracker Crust:
9 graham crackers (5 ounces), broken into rough pieces
2 T sugar
5 T unsalted butter, melted and warm

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a food processor, process the graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds (you should have 1 cup crumbs.) Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding warm melted butter in a steady stream; pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to 9-inch glass pie plate; use the bottom of a ramekin or measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides, forming a crust. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, 14 to 17 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pink Lemonade Filling:
1 quart (4 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
6 oz. frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed (half of a 12-oz. can)
1 (4 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed if frozen
Lemon or lime peel or berries, for garnish

*Tip: To evenly soften ice cream, cut it into even-sized chunks (about 2x2-inches) and place in a room-temperature bowl. Mash a little as soon as they begin to soften. You want minimal softening - only as much as you need to mix it with the other ingredients.

In a large bowl combine ice cream, concentrate and Cool Whip until smooth and homogenous. Spread into cooled graham crust. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature a few minutes before serving. Garnish as desired.Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker