This Post sponsored by Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream
It’s time to CELEBRATE!
With Maine Rocky Mountain Pie!
Acadia National Park is celebrating it’s 100th Anniversary this year and Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream is helping us celebrate along with them.
With a purchase of Chocolate Brownie Crunch or I Scream for Cake ice cream, Gifford’s will donate 5% of your purchase to help preserve this beautiful national landmark.
Of course since we are all celebrating I wanted to create a recipe that reminds me of the park while using some of that delicious, creamy, Pure Gifford’s Goodness ice cream so…Maine Rocky Mountain Pie it is!
A Gem of a Park
But first, let’s talk more about the park! 47,000 acres along the Atlantic and located mostly on Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park has a variety of hiking trails up and down cliffs, through pine forests and along the scenic coastline.
If you have not seen and experienced it I highly suggest that you add it to your bucket list. Walking along the granite lined shoreline, smelling the salty sea air and the sweet, fragrant pine trees – there is nothing quite like it! Not to mention the spectacular views!
Great Hiking Trails
I Recently hiked a trail called “The Beehive” with my fitness group.
This is a moderate to difficult trail which entails climbing up a steep, cliff side of granite.
We made it!!
From the top you take a gradual return through the Bowl Trail and end up just North of Sand Beach. Sand Beach is a great place to relax and unwind and you can even swim if you like. Warning: the water is cold!
A Well Deserved Treat
Of course a long day of hiking will make you hungry.
There is a wonderful little ice cream stand right in Bar Harbor adjacent to the wharf parking lot where you can get some Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream to satisfy your sweet tooth. Look for I Scream for Cake, a flavor that I used in another Gifford’s post, and Chocolate Brownie Crunch. You’ll be getting your sweets and supporting the park!
Maine Rocky Mountain Pie is made using Gifford’s Chocolate Brownie Crunch, tossed with a few additional goodies and put into a walnut crust.
Making Maine Rocky Mountain Pie
Here is a quick run down of the recipe with some tips:
Using a food processor makes blending the ingredients and cutting in the fats a snap.
Placing the ingredients into a bowl and then adding the cold water helps to ensure that you don’t over process the dough.
Lightly flour the crust and if it seems too soft to work with just pop in in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Using the pie tin as a guide will help you to make sure it is rolled out large enough to create a nice edge.
Flute the edges and chill the pie crust before baking it.
Be sure to dock the crust to allow any steam to escape.
Line with a piece of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice (rice is my personal preference.)
Once the crust is baked chill it and place the ice cream in the refrigerator to soften.
Fold the almonds, chocolate chips and marshmallows into the ice cream and then place into the chilled crust.
Top with the reserved nuts, chips and marshmallows then freeze.
Patiently Waiting for the Maine Rocky Mountain Pie
Freeze the pie for 4 hours or overnight. Slice and then serve.
I can’t stop eating this pie so I think it might be time for another hiking trip.
I’d climb just about any mountain for this treat! 🙂
Want another recipe to pair with Gifford’s – Try Maine Mud Cake!
PrintMaine Rocky Mountain Pie
- Prep Time: 4 1/2 hours
- Cook Time: 25 - 30 mins
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8 - 10 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- Pie Crust:
- 1 cup & 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled & cut into ” pieces
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, chilled & cut into ” pieces
- 2 – 5 Tbsp. cold water
- Filling:
- 1 quart Gifford’s Chocolate Brownie Crunch Ice Cream
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows (divided – ¾ & ¼)
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (divided – ½ & ¼)
- ½ cup Blue Diamond Salted Caramel Almonds, coarsely chopped (divided – ¼ & ¼) (plain almonds can be substituted)
Instructions
- Prepare pie crust:
- In the bowl of a food processor combine flour, sugar and salt. Process for 30 seconds. Distribute the butter pieces evenly over the flour mixture. Pulse 3 times. Distribute the shortening pieces and the walnuts over the flour mixture. Pulse 8 more times. Place mixture in a large bowl.
- Add the cold water in a teaspoon at a time and use a fork to blend until mixture starts to come together and is no longer dry (do not make too wet.) Roll out and place into a 10″ pie pan. Trim the crust leaving 1″ hanging over edge of pan. Fold edges under and flute. Prick bottom and sides with tines of a fork. Place prepared crust in freezer for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°. Remove crust from freezer. Line with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights (uncooked rice can be substituted for the weights.) Place in center of preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and lower oven temperature to 375°. Remove foil along with weights and place pie shell back in oven for an additional 10 – 15 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Prepare filling:
- While the pie shell is cooling place the ice cream in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to soften if needed.
- When the pie shell is completely cooled place the ice cream in a large bowl. Using a spatula fold in the ¾ cups marshmallows, ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and ¼ cup chopped almonds. Place the ice cream mixture into the pie crust and smooth the top with the spatula.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ marshmallows, ¼ cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup chopped almonds evenly over the top. Place the pie in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the pie from the freezer. Slice with a heated knife and serve.
OMG! I’d hike through a buggy swamp for a piece of this pie, let alone climb a rocky mountain. Thanks for sharing your fun Maine hiking experiences and this amazing recipe!!
Lol Susan! So happy that Acadia National Park is so close by. 🙂 Maine surely is a beautiful state!