Peach-Pecan Ice Cream Pie with Caramel Sauce

Preparation

1. Make crust:

   Step 1

   Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter in medium bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2. Make caramel sauce:

   Step 2

   Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and sauce is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla. Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 1 hour.

   Step 3

   Drizzle 1/4 cup cooled caramel sauce over bottom of crust. Freeze until caramel sets, about 10 minutes. Spread 1 quart ice cream over caramel in crust. Sprinkle chopped pecans over ice cream. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over ice cream. Freeze until caramel sets, about 10 minutes. Spread remaining ice cream over. Freeze until top of pie is firm, about 1 hour.

   Step 4

   Arrange pecan halves in 3 concentric circles around top of pie. Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel sauce over pie. Freeze pie until frozen solid, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Cover tightly with foil; keep frozen. Cover and chill remaining caramel sauce.)

   Step 5

   Rewarm remaining caramel sauce over low heat, stirring often. Cut around pan sides to loosen pie. Let pie soften slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes. Remove pan sides. Serve pie with warm caramel sauce.