Sunday, September 18, 2011

Chocolate Icebox Pie



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Icebox pies were a fixture of my childhood and they remained popular through the early years of my marriage. While I suspect those who loved them never stopped making them, they disappeared from the culinary scene for quite awhile. They appear to be making a comeback. Refrigerator, or icebox, pies became popular during the Great Depression because they needed no baking. Fillings were prepared with gelatin, poured into crusts and then put into an icebox to set or gel. The boxes were the precursor of today's modern refrigerators. They were rectangular affairs that had cavities to hold blocks of ice that were delivered on a scheduled basis by an iceman. They were replaced as refrigerators became features of most kitchens following WWII, but pies and cakes that were made with gelatin never lost their original name. Some of them are quite delicious and all of them are easy to make. Most icebox cakes are packed with calories, so I don't make them often. However, because they appear so rarely on my table, I don't replace the cream they use with whipped topping. That is a personal choice. If you want to use whipped topping, please do. Your dessert will be different than mine, but it will still be delicious. I always make these cakes and pies the night before I plan to serve them. I don't use a lot of gelatin in my recipes because I think too much of it makes a dessert rubbery. I rely, instead, on a long chill to assure the kind of set that allows clean slices to be made when the cake or pie is cut. I know those of you who try this recipe will love it. So, without further ado, here's there recipe for one of my favorite icebox pies.

Chocolate Icebox Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by an award winning pie from Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:

Crust
1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup butter, softened
Filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
Toasted sliced almonds

Directions:
1) To make crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan. Combine wafer crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake until lightly browned, about5 to 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
2) To make filling: Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small saucepan. Let it stand for 1 minute to soften. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup sugar, coffee, water and salt. Cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate and vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Beat 1 cup cream in a small bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into chocolate mixture. Spread evenly into crust. Chill for at least 4 hours to set. Overnight is best.
3) To prepare topping: When ready to serve, beat reserved 1 cup sugar in a small bowl until it begins to thicken. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread over top of pie. Garnish with almonds. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.








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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Icebox Pie - Southern Bite
Key Lime Ice Box Pie - Cooking with Kick
Chocolate Icebox Pie - Sugar Pies
Lemon Icebox Pie - Evil Chef Mom
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Icebox Pie- The Little Kitchen that Could

45 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

I don't know if I have ever had an ice box pie, this one looks delicious!

Annesphamily said...

I love dessert and you share so many wonderful ones. Thanks Mary! Anne

Unknown said...

these cake Dear mary is gourgious....you Know that since i have found your blog i waste all my time trying to caught some your sigret..in the last time Im trying to translate in english my recipe becouse my google traslator doesn't works the convershin .. has been very hard to undestend for me..lukely I have found cups from a my friend..an now I'm making exercise..

retete- ina said...

delicious,this looks fine,have nice day

What's Baking?? said...

Hi Mary, Your icebox pie looks wonderful. I'm not very good with chilled desserts. Like you said, if used too much gelatine it will be rubbery which sometimes mine turned out to be that. So I gave up on chilled dessert. Will try again now that you've shared this wonderful recipe.

Angie's Recipes said...

Light and smooth in texture...beautiful! And I really love wafer crust you used.

Spoon and Chopsticks said...

Looks wonderful with nice texture.

http://spoon-and-chopsticks.blogspot.com

Jacqueline said...

Ooh, this came up on my dashboard and I started salivating! this looks so beautiful and luscious. Yum, yum!

scrambledhenfruit said...

I do love a good icebox pie. Chocolate is my favorite, with lemon close behind. This one, with the coffee added, sounds delicious! :)

Anonymous said...

This looks tasty. I've only ever made an icebox cake with the cookie wafers and whipped cream. Thanks for sharing!

Kaś said...

Perfect pie! Looks so delicious.
You add new post day by day, I admire you :) Awesome blog.
Thank you for visiting mine.

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Fabulous - I could go for a slice right now. I always substitute whipped heavy cream when a recipe calls for Cool Whip. I think it makes a huge difference, for the better.

Have a wonderful Sunday,
Patricia

Katarina said...

Looks tasty! I have never heard of icebox pie.

Anonymous said...

I always admire names that you give to your dishes.Wasn;t sure what to expect with thsi one.Turned out it must be a fabolous cake;)

Amalia said...

This looks amazing! Wow! I love your explanation about icebox cakes, it's nice to have some history behind a recipe :)Have a fantastic day!

JasmyneTea said...

I never knew that was why some people still call fridges "ice-boxes". I was always confused about that! Looks like a magnificent pie nonetheless.

Alessandra said...

It is the first time that I hear the term Icebox pie, it is a nice name really :-). I guess that I could use agar agar, since I don't eat gelatin, although agar agar doesn't require refrigeration to set.. but it is nicer cold :-).

Have a good week

ciao
Alessandra

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I have been wanting to have our neighbors in for end of the summer pie. This will be perfect.

Fondly,
Glenda

Diane said...

Wow this looks good. On my to-do list. Diane

Chiara said...

Looks wonderful and tasty Mary!have a good day....

Unknown said...

Never heard of an icebox pie, but this makes me want to try one! Looks delicious :)

Maris (In Good Taste) said...

I have never had an ice box pie but my mom has said my Grandma use to make these alot!

Flavia Galasso said...

I had a red ice box (1930) in my kitchen, now I use it just to store my kitchen supply..... but I really love it!! thanks for recipe and have a wonderful jpurney...hugs, Flavia

A Paixão da Isa said...

hummm que bom que esta ,esta muito boa beijinhos e bom domingo

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

Love the addition of coffee here - may I have a slice for breakfast?

Debbie said...

I love icebox pies and am glad to see more recipes for them lately. They are especially wonderful in the summer!

Kat said...

Yummy!!! This looks totally delicious!

Stephen said...

Icebox pies has never been a favorite of mine but like always yours looks delicious. I will have to 'man-up' and make this for my wife, she loves everything ice creamy.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

What I wouldn't give for a slice right now Mary...even before breakfast.

Big Dude said...

This pie sounds delicious and your trip sounds like a great one. Looking forward to hearing about it - make sure you take a guided tour through the Casba in Tangiers - it's an experience I'll never forget.

Kim Bee said...

I just wanted to pop over and say thank you for your sweet and kind words. It made my day. Glad you found me so I could find you. Look forward to reading more of your blog. Thanks again, I was touched by your kindness. xx

Laura said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I have followed yours and love reading your recipes, give me great ideas!

That Girl said...

I didn't grow up with these. We were fruit pie eaters. I'll have to be adventurous and give this a shot.

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

My mother made plenty of icebox pies when I was growing up. This one looks great, I'll be sure to try it!

France@beyondthepeel said...

My favorite part about the recipe is that you didn't use whip topping. Half of the ingredients aren't even real food. I think this is a great recipe and I look forward to trying it, real whipping cream and all!

Kim said...

Il really like this kind of pie. With these flavors, it surely a hit!

Leslie said...

Your right, I am seeing icebox pies all over the place. This looks delish!

A Sunflower Life said...

Love the look, and I have to agree with you that real whipped cream would be best on top, especially after taking the time to make the filling from scratch. I see this on my Thanksgiving dessert menu!

Ben said...

Wonderful, Mary! Any recipe the name of which ends in "pie" is going to be something I like anyway. I really like how you've kept the amount of gelatin under control.

Ben
http://kissthecook-ben.blogspot.com/

Polly said...

I've never actually seen a recipe for one of these. I've always just bought them and made them right out the box. Thanks for sharing! http://www.learnandgopolly.com/

Denise D (A Family of Foodies) said...

This looks amazing and sounds scrumptious!! :)

Elin said...

Mary...this make me drool away...looks scrumptious ...I want some and I want to be your neighbor..everyday a new recipe :))) imagine how nice if I move over just next door to you...even if I don't get a slice I still get the aroma LOL!
Have a nice day !
Elin

Joanne said...

I've never made or eaten an icebox pie but I've definitely seen them in food magazines lately! Chocolate sounds like the perfect way to start eating them!

FoodieNumNum said...

Oh my goodness, ice box pies! I haven't had one of these in a long time. I'll have to try this recipe out :) PS, wonderful blog back at you, Mary!

Cheers!

Katie @ Dip It In Chocolate said...

Oh my. I could definitely go for a slice of this! (Or realistically, maybe two or three slices...)

Thanks so much for your visit to my blog and your sweet comment. It's great to have found yours as well. I'm all about using foods that are on hand and won't blow the bank!

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