Favorite Christmas Dessert

Way back in the 1950's, when I was growing up, my mom always made an Ice Cream Cake for dessert after Christmas dinner. Ice cream cake in December, in snowy cold Minnesota, is a bit of an oxymoron, but it worked for us! A family favorite, it quickly became as much a part of our holiday celebration as old Saint Nick himself. My three brothers and five cousins loved it and we looked forward to it every year. Be sure to use raspberry and lime sherbet if you can find them, or any pink and green ice creams (like peppermint and pistachio), for your red and green Christmas color theme. Mom couldn't find red and green sherbet this year. We think the sherbet colors are more festive because they're brighter. This is also a fun cake to serve at other times of the year. Just change the colors/flavors of the balls to suit the occasion. You could also try chocolate ice cream for the base color with vanilla and strawberry balls.























ICE CREAM CAKE
Ingredients:
1 gal. vanilla ice cream (you may have left-over ice cream)
2 pints raspberry sherbet
2 pints lime sherbet
Directions:
1. With an ice cream scoop, make about 15-18 balls of raspberry and lime sherbet.
2. Freeze sherbet balls on a cookie sheet or flat pan, in a single layer, till solid.
3. Soften 1/2+ gallon of vanilla ice cream. Pour ice cream into angel food cake pan to a depth of 2 inches.
4. Add the sherbet balls, alternating flavors, around the circle. Push them down into the ice cream.
5. Add softened ice cream to cover and add a second layer of sherbet balls. Fill in and cover with softened ice cream.
6. Freeze at least 24 hours.
7. Here's the tricky part: To serve, cut around the edge of the pan with a hot knife to loosen the cake. Hold a hot, wet towel against the bottom of the pan until the cake swirls in the pan. Then invert over a cake plate and lift the pan. Voila! Pure Christmas magic! Slice as you would a regular cake and serve. Ho Ho Ho!