Ice box dessert

Today we're making Ice Box Dessert.  This is a very simple dessert from my childhood, fun to make and fun to eat,  and made with ice cream, crushed butter mints and crushed chocolate wafers.  When I was a kid, we would buy all the ingredients from the grocery store and combine them.  Now I make the ice cream and wafers from scratch, but not the butter mints.

First we need ice cream, either vanilla or French vanilla works best.  If you get a carton from the grocery store, it needs to soften or you won't be able to mix in the butter mints.  Since I make it myself, I add the crushed butter mints directly into the ice cream freezer/churner when the ice cream is just about ready to be removed.

The butter mints should be crushed, but whether you want them crushed into tiny bits or larger chunks is purely a matter of taste.  I usually place them into a plastic bag that can be locked (zipper lock is better than a compression seal), and pound them with the flat side of a meat tenderizer.  I make sure that every original piece is broken up at least a little bit.

The chocolate wafers should be crushed into very fine crumbs.  I have a small-sized food processor that works great for this.  After I make the chocolate wafers, I let them cool completely before processing them into crumbs.

Set out your molds or bowls or dishes, whatever you want to make this dessert in.  You can make individual portions or one large one in a 9x9 or a 9x13 pan.  Cover the bottom with a generous amount of the wafer crumbs.  

Next mix in the crushed butter mints into the soft ice cream.  How much you add comes down to taste.  I prefer to add less rather than more.  

Now spread the ice cream into the prepared molds or dishes or pan.  Press it down with a spoon or spatula so that it is pressed firmly against the bottom crumbs.  I always try to make it fairly level on top.

Now add a generous layer of crumbs on top, and press those into the ice cream with the back of a spoon. Then put it in the freezer for several hours to firm up.

That's all there is to it.

Now you have a wonderful refreshing dessert ready whenever you feel like indulging just a bit.

I made three of these yesterday.  I think I'm going to eat one now.  Bon appetit!