Usually when I visit New Orleans, I go right to favorite places in the French Quarter such as Jackson Square and Café Du Monde while picking up Mardi Gras beads along the way. But on a weekend trip to attend a conference, I went instead straight to GW Fins for their Salty Malty Ice Cream Pie. I had read about this intriguing pie and I and was eager to try it. 
I started my dining experience by meeting Brenda, who is a 
knowledgeable server, and ended up being my culinary guide. She reassured me the pie was still on the menu. She also noted that it would change my life if I ate it. While planning my meal, I also met the husband of one of the chefs whose wife, during her internship at the Culinary School at Delgado Community College, developed the recipe with the executive chef Michael Blake Nelson. As the story goes, the inspiration for the pie came from Chef Nelson who wanted a filling that reminded him of ice cream he had as a child. Between the two chefs, they concocted one amazing pie.
As I placed my order for the pie, I asked for a recommendation for a drink to pair with it. Brenda suggested spiced rum, which she filtered through an ice cube to calm the flavor to compliment the pie.
People: Inventive chefs and servers who are guides to the history of items on the menu and can recommend flavor pairings.
Places: GW Fins, 808 Bienville Street, New Orleans, LA, 70112 https://gwfins.com
Pies: Salty Malty Ice Cream Pie
I have eaten and made ice cream pies before–the ones that have several layers of ice cream from the 
carton, or ice cream mixed with cookies or crumbled candy bars, and those with a pretzel crust an inch thick. But this pie exceeds any sense of what constitutes an ice cream pie. To start with, the pretzel crust is thinner than a pretzel but imparts just the right subtle texture and salty flavor. Then, the filling is a light, cloud-fluffy combination of the essence of caramel, cream, malt, and salt. To top it off, there are two chocolate-covered pretzel rings that complete the perfection of flavors. The chocolatey, malty, salty, caramely flavors lingered in my mouth for the rest of the evening. My life may not have been changed (yet,) but my palate certainly has!
- For the crust:
- ⅓ bag of pretzels, crushed
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 stick of butter
- For the salted carmel:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp. butter
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- for the Filling:
- ½ gallon Vanilla Bean ice cream
- ½ cup Malted Milk Powder
- ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce (make your own or you can use store-bought)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup whipped cream
- Take the vanilla bean ice cream out of the freezer to soften.
- For the crust:
- In a food processor crush the pretzels. Add the sugar and flour, pulse. Melt the butter and add to the pretzel mixture, mix until crumbs form.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350.
- Grease a 9in. springform pan. Add the pretzel mixture to the bottom and press the mixture evenly and about 2in. up the sides of the pan. Reserve some of the pretzel mixture for the top of the pie at the end. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
- For the salted caramel:
- In a small sauce pan over high heat add the sugar and water. You will stir the sugar constantly and need to be by the stove for the entire process. The sugar will start to harden, but keep stirring and it will become a liquid. The liquid will start turning brown. You want to stir until the desired amber color is achieved. This will burn fast, so make sure you are watching it and remove from heat right away. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool down a little. Add the heavy cream and stir constantly. It will bubble, but keep stirring. Add the butter until melted. If the mixture has cooled too much to melt the butter, put the pan back on the burner on low. Add the sea salt. Transfer the caramel to a glass jar and set aside. OR buy a jar of salted caramel sauce!
- In a large mixing bowl beat with an electric mixer ¾ cup of whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- Add the ice cream. Mix the ice cream and whipping cream, until combined.
- Add the malted milk powder, salt and caramel, mix until combined and smooth.
- Pour the ice cream mixture over the crust.
- Cover with tin foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight.
- Take the pie out about 5 minutes before serving. Add some of the pretzel mixture to cover the top of the pie.
- Release from pan and cut pie shaped pieces.
- Drizzle some caramel sauce over each piece. Garnish with whipped cream. Add 1 to 2 chocolate covered pretzels and serve.
How much is exactly one third of a bag of pretzels?
More than a quarter and less than a half 🙂