Reader does own digging for ice cream pie recipe

It’s great when someone does all your work for you; doubly great when in the end you get ice cream.

So my hero today is Mandy Blake, and by extension Louli Yardley, and by further extension Yardley’s mother, the late, great Maili Yardley, who wrote The Honolulu Advertiser’s food column, "The Island Way," for nearly 20 years beginning in 1977.

Blake originally wrote in search of an old recipe of Maili’s for an ice cream pie made with Almond Roca candy. I couldn’t find it, but offered to adapt a recipe for a toffee ice cream pie. She opted instead to query Louli, who has many of her mother’s old recipes and told Blake that she would enjoy the hunt.

It turned up in Maili’s cookbook, "Hawaii Cooks: The Island Way," published in 1982.

This is an easy dessert, assembled out of store-bought ingredients. The result, though, is something much more than a sum of its parts.

Maili’s recipe, credited to Lorraine Cooke, "one of Honolulu’s leading hostesses," is so simple it was presented in paragraph form rather than a formal recipe: Line a pie pan with chips of Almond Roca; top with layers of softened coffee and chocolate ice cream. Once frozen solid, invert so the candy pieces are on top.

So, although I’ve filled out the instructions and added a crust to fancy it up a bit, I take no credit for today’s recipe. We — my heroes and I — share it because it’s a nice relief after all the bustle of holiday baking. And it’s truly delicious.

Coffee-Toffee Ice Cream Pie

» 12 pieces Almond Roca candy
» 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
» 2 pints coffee ice cream, softened
» 1 Oreo cookie pie crust, crumbled

Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a piece of baking parchment, cut to fit.

Place candy in plastic bag, lay on cutting board and strike with a heavy object (such as a pot) to break candy into pieces about 1/4 inch in size (try not to pulverize). Place candy pieces in single layer on top of parchment.

Gently spread vanilla ice cream over candy. Place in freezer 20 minutes, or until firm. Take coffee ice cream from freezer to soften while the vanilla layer is freezing.

Spread coffee ice cream over vanilla. Sprinkle evenly with Oreo crumbs and press lightly into coffee layer. Freeze at least 1 hour, until solid.

To serve: Let pie sit at room temperature a few minutes, until you can easily use a butter knife to loosen edges of pan. Invert pie onto a plate. Peel off parchment. Slice. Serves 8.

Nutritional information unavailable.

Variations: Any complementary flavors of ice cream may be used, or stick with 3 pints of a single flavor. Almond Roca may be replaced with toffee chips or another type of chocolate-nut or chocolate-caramel candy. Oreo crust may be replaced with a graham cracker crust. Drizzle with chocolate or caramel sauce, or top with whipped cream.

Tip for softening ice cream: If you’re in a hurry, microwave on high 10 seconds. Stir and repeat if necessary. You can even microwave the whole carton, then squeeze the carton to help smush the ice cream.

Ranch to host farm-to-table feast

Enjoy an evening of conversation and food when Outstanding in the Field returns to the islands

Jan. 25. Hosts John and David Morgan of Kualoa Ranch, with guest chef Mark "Gooch" Noguchi of The Pili Group, will lead a table-to-farm feast.

Participants will tour the farm before sitting at a long communal table for a meal with the artisans — farmers, winemakers, cheesemakers, etc. — who will provide the makings of the feast.

The event begins at 3 p.m. Seats are $210.

Another farm meal will be presented at 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Mauna Kea Tea Farm on the Big Island. Cost for that event is $190.

Visit outstandinginthefield.com.

Write "By Request," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.