Triple-Layer Ice Cream Bombe -- The Dessert That Closes Out the Hensley Fourth

Fourth of July week. The annual campaign. This year I smoked a whole chicken in addition to the ribs because the family is growing and the food needs to grow with it. Whole chicken brined and rubbed and smoked over cherry wood for three hours, the skin bronzed and crispy, the meat falling off the bone. The ribs got the bourbon glaze again — the sauce that Connie called acceptable and which I've been perfecting for three years and which I now call the Hensley Bourbon Sauce because it deserves a name.

Travis and Jolene. Clay and Sarah — her first family Fourth. Earl Thomas, fifteen months, running now, not walking, running with the unsteady determination of a person who has discovered speed and doesn't know about brakes. He ran toward the fire pit and I caught him and my back screamed and my heart screamed louder because the fire pit is not a place for a fifteen-month-old and my reflexes, thank God, are still faster than my spine is slow.

Amber and James in Louisville — they hosted their own Fourth, the first holiday as a married couple. She called to tell me about it and I could hear the pride in her voice, the pride of a woman who has a home and a husband and a grill and a recipe for jollof rice that she's learning from Adunni, and the world continues to expand in ways I didn't predict and all of them are good.

The ribs did their job. The chicken did its job. By late afternoon, with Earl Thomas finally asleep and the fire pit banked down to safe coals, the family needed something cold and something celebratory — something that said the meal wasn’t over yet, that there was still more occasion to honor. This Triple-Layer Ice Cream Bombe is what I make when the day has been big enough to earn a real dessert, when the people around the table have grown enough that you need something that can be sliced for a crowd and still look like you meant it.

Triple-Layer Ice Cream Bombe

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 6 hours (includes freezing) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (about 18 Oreos, finely crushed)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• 1 1/2 quarts strawberry ice cream, slightly softened
• 1 1/2 quarts chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Fresh berries or chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the bowl. Line a large 4-quart mixing bowl with two layers of plastic wrap, leaving several inches of overhang on all sides. Press the wrap into the bowl as smoothly as possible and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
2. Add the chocolate layer. Scoop the softened chocolate ice cream into the chilled bowl and spread it in an even layer against the sides and bottom, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Smooth with a spoon or offset spatula. Return to the freezer and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. Add the strawberry layer. Remove the bowl from the freezer. Spread the softened strawberry ice cream in an even layer over the chocolate, pressing it firmly against the inside of the chocolate shell. Smooth the surface and return to the freezer. Freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
4. Add the vanilla layer. Spread the softened vanilla ice cream over the strawberry layer, filling the remaining hollow in the center. Pack it firmly so there are no air pockets. Smooth the top flat.
5. Make the crust. Combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture firmly over the vanilla ice cream layer to form a crust base. Cover the entire bowl tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Unmold the bombe. When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap from the top. Invert the bowl onto a chilled serving plate. Lay a warm, damp towel over the outside of the bowl for 30 to 60 seconds to help release the bombe, then lift the bowl away. Peel off the plastic wrap.
7. Whip the cream and serve. Beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream over and around the bombe. Garnish with fresh berries or chocolate shavings if desired. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 47g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg