PIE #5 - LOVE POTION #31

I SCREAM! YOU SCREAM! WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

Can you guess what this week’s pie is??

Warning: Lactose intolerant folks will continue to hate me because I’m on a dairy streak. But life is short and there’s Lactaid!

This week’s pie was inspired by the famous Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain which debuted a new flavor I flipped over decades ago. Love Potion #31 was introduced in 1995 to provide sweet relief to broken hearts on Valentine’s Day. So says Google. But heartbroken or not, Cupid’s arrow will pierce your heart when your lips meet this divine concoction. A bright raspberry ribbon is woven through rich white chocolate and raspberry ice cream, and studded throughout this delectable melding are tiny chocolate hearts that when bitten into, ooze a gooey raspberry syrup.

I am enthusiastically plugging Baskin-Robbins this week because of my ongoing love affair with their ice cream. It all began in 1978 while working my first job as a teenager at Baskin-Robbins. I developed a Popeye-worthy right biceps from all the scooping. I fell hopelessly in love with nearly all the flavors with a weight gain of 10-pounds as proof of my undying love. Pralines 'N Cream was my go-to flavor for years. But when Love Potion #31 came on the scene, it set in motion a new devotion to the potion.

I'm a poet and I know it!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, how befitting to spotlight the ice cream love of my life. 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 formula 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! I chose Oreo Cookies 'N Cream as a flavor mate for Love Potion #31. What a yummy marriage!

If you’re lucky enough to live near a Baskin-Robbins store, run to it and nab yourself some Love Potion #31 during its short February run. And I do mean run, literally, because this pie is fattening and you’ll need to burn mega calories! Our local Baskin-Robbins owner smiles at me every February when I enter his store with my predictable purchase. I order one scoop to immediately savor on the spot and leave with my arms 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.

The fudge sauce in this recipe is a Betty Crocker classic and outshines any store bought sauce. 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 magically disappear in no time. 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 1/2 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 Oreo Cookies 'N Cream, slightly softened
1/2 cup fudge sauce, cooled
3 cups Baskin-Robbins Lotion Potion #31, 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 Oreo Cookies 'N Cream ice cream in an even layer over cooled crust and press lightly; drizzle evenly with 3/4 cup fudge sauce and freeze until firm. Top with layer of Love Potion #31 ice cream. Drizzle with remaining 3/4 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 (hubby’s choice)
• Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate, Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate, peanut butter Oreo crust
• 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
• Very Berry Strawberry, Strawberry Cheesecake, shortbread crust