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Strawberry and Pretzel Ice Cream Pie

5.0

(1)

Strawberry ice cream pretzel pie on a white picnic table.
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh

Strawberry lovers, this one’s for you. Anchored by a salty pretzel crust, this super-simple pie celebrates the fruit in three ways: with a layer of jam, store-bought ice cream, and a tumble of fresh berries. Any brand of jam and ice cream will do, but we’re partial to Bonne Maman (technically, preserves but delicious nonetheless) and Häagen-Dazs, respectively, as both contain pieces of the fruit for added texture. Top each serving of pie with sliced strawberries (or whole, if they’re the tiny ones) while plating, so you can return any leftover pie to the freezer without the fruit on top—you want to keep those juicy and fresh.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

5 oz. salted pretzels
¼ cup (packed; 50 g) light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup strawberry jam
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 pint strawberry ice cream, softened in refrigerator 20 minutes
10 oz. fresh strawberries (about 2 cups), some halved, some quartered, some left whole

Special equipment

A 9"-diameter springform pan

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper round. Pulse 5 oz. salted pretzels, ¼ cup (packed; 50 g) light or dark brown sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a food processor until small crumbs form. Drizzle in 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, and pulse to combine. (Alternatively, crush pretzels in a resealable 1-gallon plastic bag with a rolling pin or measuring cup, shaking bag occasionally to create even pieces, to fine crumbs. Stir crumbs, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl, then drizzle in butter and stir to coat evenly.) Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan and press firmly and evenly across bottom and partially up sides with your hands and the bottom of measuring cup. Freeze crust until set, at least 30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Whisk ½ cup strawberry jam and 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice in a small bowl. Scrape onto crust and spread into an even layer. Freeze 10 minutes to set.

    Step 3

    Scoop 1 pint strawberry ice cream, softened in refrigerator 20 minutes, onto jam layer in pan; smooth into an even layer, lightly mashing any firmer parts into place. Freeze until very firm, at least 5 hours.

    Step 4

    To serve, unmold pie and top with 10 oz. fresh strawberries (about 2 cups), some halved, some quartered, some left whole.

    Do ahead: Pie (without fresh berries) can be made 5 days ahead. Cover tightly and keep frozen.

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