Ice Cream Cheesecake
Source: KSL-TV
From: Dairy Council of Utah/Nevada; Becky Low; July 12, 2004
Servings: 16

July is National Ice Cream month; celebrate with this cool cross between ice cream pie and New York style cheesecake.

FOR THE CRUST:
2 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sugar
FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
1 cup sugar
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened*
1 cup cottage cheese*
1 cup sour cream*
1 can (12 oz.) limeade concentrate, partially thawed**
1/2 gallon French vanilla ice cream, softened
TO SERVE:
lime peel curls for garnish
mint leaves

Preheat oven to 350 F

PREPARE THE CRUST:
Crush pretzels before measuring. Mix with melted butter and 3 tablespoons sugar. Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.*** Bake 8 minutes at 350F. Remove from oven and cool completely.

PREPARE THE CHEESECAKE:
Create cheesecake base by combining 1 cup sugar with cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add cottage cheese, sour cream and limeade. Beat well.

Soften ice cream and fold cheese cake mixture into ice cream. Spread mixture over pretzel crust.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (approximately 3-4 hours).

TO SERVE:
Run a knife around edges of pan to loosen ice cream from pan. Remove sides of pan. Loosen ice cream from bottom of pan and place on serving plate. Cut into 16 wedges, garnish with curls of lime peel and mint leaves as desired.

NOTES:
* May substitute fat free cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream.

** May reduce limeade to 6 ounces or 1/2 the can for a less tart taste

*** May substitute a regular pan if parchment paper is used. Cut a piece of parchment paper the same diameter as bottom of pan. Place in bottom of pan before adding pretzels. Continue as recipe directs. When removing from pan, loosen edges and turn cake upside down on a cookie sheet, remove pan. Remove parchment from bottom of cake and invert on serving plate.