Thanksgiving dinner pie
/This hilarious pie is a great way to use up your leftover Halloween candy AND have a kid-friendly dessert for any holiday meal.
Ice cream and candy for dessert might seem odd after a heavy meal, but let me tell you: We had a store-bought version of this plate a few years ago (from the UConn Dairy Bar) and my family tore through it like we hadn’t eaten in weeks.
My version of this pie starts with a layer of raspberry sorbet because the sharpness of the raspberries cuts through the super sweet candy and ice cream really nicely.
I chopped up some mini Snickers for stuffing; green M&Ms are peas; Rice Krispies treats covered with chocolate and sporting a white chocolate, pretzel, and marshmallow “bone” become a turkey drumstick; vanilla ice cream with melted caramels are mashed potatoes and gravy; raspberry sorbet is sliced to look like canned cranberry sauce; and candy corn is stuck into some almond paste as a corn cob.
Extra bonus: There are many ways for kiddos to help make this pie: They can separate the green M&Ms, chop and smash the candy, unwrap the caramels, and spread the sorbet and ice cream layers. If they’re older, they could probably make the whole darn thing themselves.
And extra extra bonus: You can make this dessert now, pop it in the freezer, and be ready for turkey day in a few weeks.
Thanksgiving dinner pie
Time: About 45 minutes-1 hour, all active + freezing overnight
Yield: 10-12 servings
10-inch oreo pie crust
2 pints vanilla ice cream (or 1 quart)
1 pint raspberry sorbet (IN A PAPER, NOT PLASTIC, CONTAINER!!)
2-3 Tbsp caramel bits or 4-5 wrapped caramels
1-2 tsp heavy cream
Flaky sea salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 large pretzel rod
1 large marshmallow, cut into quarters
3-4 Rice Krispies treats
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips or 2 mini milk chocolate bars
1 cup candy corn
1/8 log of marzipan or almond paste
½ cup mini green m&ms
6-7 fun-sized snickers, chopped
Step 1: Make the “cranberry sauce“
Using a serrated knife, cut off about 1 inch from the bottom of a paper container of raspberry sorbet. Place on a bit of parchment and return to the freezer.
Step 2: Spread the sorbet layer
Let the sorbet and ice cream sit out for a few minutes to make them easier to spread. Starting with the sorbet, drop a few scoops (I use 2-3 large scoops) into the pie shell and gently smoosh and spread the raspberry into an even layer. Put back in the freezer.
Step 3: Make the “mashed potatoes”
Place 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream onto a small parchment-covered plate and smoosh it out with spoon or spatula until it looks like mashed potatoes with a deeper well in the middle.
In a small bowl, combine the caramels with the heavy cream. Melt by microwaving for 10 seconds, stirring, and heating for 10 seconds more, as needed, until the caramels are just melted. I usually only need 1, 10-second burst.
Let cool slightly and pour into the well in the middle of the ice cream. Sprinkle with sea salt. Store in the freezer.
Return the ice cream container to the freezer for now as well.
Step 4: Melt the white chocolate
Combine the white chocolate and coconut oil.. Microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stop and mix. Microwave for another 30 seconds on high. Stop and mix. Microwave for 10 second bursts, stopping to mix until the chocolate is melted.
Step 5: Make the “turkey leg”
Snap a large pretzel rod in half. Cut a large marshmallow into fourths. Dip the non-broken end of the pretzel rod into melted white chocolate and press one quarter of the marshmallow on either side of the rod and hold in place for 10 seconds. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate until set, about 3 minutes.
Smoosh 2 Rice Krispies treats together into an oval shape. Add bits of Rice Krispies treat and smoosh to make it look like a turkey drumstick. With a chopstick or something similar, push a hole into the Rice Krispies treats where the “bone” of the drumstick will go. Set aside.
Remove the “bone” from the fridge. Dip the marshmallows and pretzel into white chocolate about halfway up the pretzel rod. Tap off the excess chocolate and set down on a sheet of parchment. Return to the refrigerator. Let set for about 5 minutes.
Add a little bit of milk chocolate to the melted white chocolate and microwave for 10 seconds. Stir until melted. Add more chocolate to achieve the light brown color you desire. Set aside.
When the “bone” has set, remove from the fridge and gently push into the Rice Krispies treats that are shaped like the meat of the turkey. Place back onto the parchment and brush the light brown chocolate over the Rice Krispies and any remaining pretzel that isn’t covered with white chocolate. Return to the fridge to set.
For more, see this tutorial.
Step 6: Make the “corn cob”
Pinch off roughly 2 Tbsp of marzipan or almond pasta and roll into a small log about the size of a thumb. Place on a small piece of parchment. Gently stick the white end of the candy corn pieces into the marzipan in a straight line going lengthwise. Add another row not he opposite side. Repeat on each side until there’s room for one more row straight down the middle. Add another small snake of marzipan in the open space and add a final row of candy corn. Put in the fridge.
For more, see this tutorial.
Step 7: Prep your candy
Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer again. Let warm up to make spreading easier.
Chop the snickers and separate the green M&Ms.
Step 8: Assemble
Scoop 1/2 pint of vanilla ice cream onto the sorbet layer of the pie. Gently smoosh and spread the ice cream into a thin layer.
Arrange the rest of the pie elements.
Peel the “mashed potatoes” off of the parchment and place on the pie. Do the same with the “turkey leg” and the “corn cob.” Add the chopped snickers “stuffing” and the M&M “peas.” Add the sorbet “cranberry sauce” in the center. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Let freeze for about 24 hours and then wrap more tightly with either plastic wrap or tin foil (or both).