Caramel Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream cake is a time-honored tradition in the Peterson household, and Mom created this recipe in response to Dad’s persistent requests for a caramel version of our favorite frozen treat!

1 pkg pecan sandies
1 box vanilla ice cream (~1 1/2 quarts)
1 jar caramel sauce topping
1 (8 oz) pkg cool whip or whipped topping

#1: Make room in your freezer! Pulverize pecan sandies in a blender or food processor. Reserving about 1/2 cup, spread cookie crumbs evenly on the bottom of a 9×13″ pan. Pack them down solid, then place in freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes. At that time, pull out ice cream and allow it to thaw for 15-20 minutes, or just until it is soft enough to be malleable.

Remove pan from freezer and spread softened ice cream over cookie layer. Return to freezer for another 20+ minutes to harden. Heat up caramel topping until it is runny and smooth. Remove pan again and spread caramel over ice cream layer. Freeze for another 20+ minutes, then add whipped topping. Sprinkle reserved cookie crumbs on top for garnish. Serve immediately, or return cake to freezer until just before time to serve.

Note: You can cheat on the freezing time between steps, but the layers won’t be as nice and even. The only one that is really important is letting the caramel cool before adding the whipped topping. On the other hand, if you want to start the night before and progress through the next day, freezing for several hours between steps is perfectly fine.

Time to make: at least 1 hour

Source: Pamela Peterson (based on Laura Winn’s Oreo Ice Cream Cake recipe)