PIE #7 - LOVE POTION #31

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and I've dreamed up a pie for the lover's holiday: Love Potion #31, inspired by my favorite Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavor. I will be shamelessly plugging Baskin-Robbins throughout this piece because of my love affair with their ice cream since 1978. My first job was at a Baskin-Robbins. I was a high school junior working weekends and evenings to save for college. I developed a Popeye worthy right biceps from all the scooping. I gained 10 pounds thanks to the two free scoops on my work breaks. And I fell hopelessly in love with nearly all the flavors. There was no such thing as ice cream monogamy for me back then.

As an aside, I have to mention a recent sermon given by my pastor. He often uses interesting anecdotes and vivid analogies to flesh out his points and when he mentioned Baskin-Robbins, my curiosity was piqued. "When I go to Baskin-Robbins, there's only one flavor of ice cream, not 31, and that flavor is Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate." I won't get pious in my pie blog, so I won't detail the rest of the sermon and how an ice cream shop even tied into it, but I will say that Pastor Cliff has found his true ice cream love to which he remains faithful.

And so it is now for me with Love Potion #31 after my former flings with flavors galore. Who wouldn't fall head over heels into a tub of white chocolate and raspberry ice cream entwined with a raspberry ribbon and studded with raspberry filled chocolate hearts and chocolate chips? Trust me, Cupid's arrow will pierce your heart with one taste of this luscious concoction. My local Baskin-Robbins owner smiles at me every February when he sees me eagerly enter his store. I order one scoop to immediately savor and leave with my arms fully embracing take-home tubs of Love Potion #31. Single scoop cones were 29 cents back in 1978 but I will pay just about any price today for my beloved flavor which, by the way, is a seasonal flavor available mainly in February.

And as another aside, Love Potion #31 has its own Facebook fan page. And I'm sorry to break the news to you, Pastor Cliff, but Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate does not.

I thought it befitting that the ice cream love of my life be spotlighted in my pie blog. The recipe I've created uses a chocolate Oreo crust, two flavors of Baskin-Robbins ice cream and my homemade fudge sauce. The beauty of this recipe is that you can pair any two flavors of ice cream with a cookie crust of your choice. The possibilities for your own love potion pie are endless!* If you don't opt for Baskin-Robbins, make sure to select a premium ice cream brand. Low budget ice cream is usually pumped full of air and will lack that rich flavor only a premium ice cream can deliver.

The fudge sauce in this recipe should remain a constant complement to the ice cream flavors you choose. You can resort to store-bought fudge sauce if you prefer, but my easy recipe is delicious and versatile. Use it for sundaes, drizzle it over pound cake, or add it to milk for a rich chocolate drink. It will keep in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks but I bet it'll be eaten before then. Serious chocoholics at my house eat the sauce straight up by the loving spoonful!

LOVE POTION #31 PIE

Fudge Sauce:
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the milk, chocolate chips and sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for the pie and store the remaining sauce in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for another use.

Crust and Filling:
2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs, finely crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons milk
3 cups Baskin-Robbins Winter White Chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
1/2 cup fudge sauce, cooled
3 cups Baskin-Robbins Lotion Potion #31 ice cream, slightly softened
1/2 cup fudge sauce, cooled
Fresh Raspberries for garnish (optional)

Stir together cookie crumbs, butter and milk. Lightly press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. A 9 1/2" pie pan can be substituted but a springform pan better showcases the layers of this pie. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Spread Winter White Chocolate ice cream in an even layer over cooled crust and press lightly; drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup fudge sauce and freeze until firm. Top with layer of Love Potion #31 ice cream. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup fudge sauce. Cover and freeze until firm. When ready to serve, remove springform ring and then slice pie into wedges. Garnish if desired.

*Here are some harmonious flavor combination suggestions using Baskin-Robbins ice cream:

• Jamoca Almond Fudge, Oreo Cookies 'n Cream, coconut macaroon crust (my husband's favorite)
• Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip, Mint Oreo crust
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Quarterback Crunch, Nilla wafer crust
• Rocky Road, Butter Pecan, chocolate graham cracker crust
• German Chocolate Cake, Gold Medal Ribbon, coconut macaroon crust
• Rum Raisin, Pralines 'n Cream, graham cracker crust
• Nutty Coconut, Chocolate Fudge, coconut macaroon crust

And last but not least, for Pastor Cliff:
• Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate, Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate, peanut butter Oreo crust