Chocolate Icebox Pie

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.