Chocolate-Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 9-ounce packages chocolate wafer cookies (about 61 cookies)

Glaze

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Filling

• 7 cups premium vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely crushed red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies (about 10 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract

• Red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, whole or broken into pieces

For crust:
Melt butter with chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add warm chocolate mixture; blend just until crumbs are moistened. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture in small bowl. Press remaining crumb mixture onto sides, then bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze.

For glaze:
Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 1 hour.

For filling:
Working quickly, mix ice cream, 1 1/4 cups crushed candies, and extract in large bowl just until blended. Spoon half of ice cream into crust; spread evenly (place remaining ice cream mixture in bowl in freezer). Sprinkle reserved 1 cup cookie crumbs over ice cream in pan; press gently. Pour 1 cup chocolate glaze over ice cream in pan. Freeze 1 hour. Top with remaining ice cream; spread evenly. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Stir remaining glaze over low heat just until pourable but not warm. Pour glaze over ice cream; spread evenly. Freeze overnight.

Run sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Garnish cake with peppermint candies and serve.