Mincemeat Sundae Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
FOR THE FILLING
6 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup mincemeat (made without suet)
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (6 ounce) jar maraschino cherries (optional)

Preparation

FOR THE CRUST: Combine wafer crumbs, pecans, butter, sugar & cinnamon.
Press into bottom & 1 1/2\" up side of 10\" greased springform pan.
Freeze for 30 minutes.
FOR THE FILLING: Place ice cream in bowl, & let stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften.
Stir in mincemeat until evenly distributed.
Carefully pack into crumb crust.
Cover & freeze overnight or for up to 4 weeks.
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE: In saucepan, bring sugar & cream to boil.
Stirring occasionally, cook for 3-4 minutes or until thickened enough to coat spoon. DO NOT OVER COOK.
Stir in vanilla, & let cool 3 minutes. [Sauce can be cooked completely & stored in airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Reheat over medium heat before serving.].
To serve, drizzle caramel sauce over pieces of pie.
To make it even more festive, chop a maraschino cherry for each slice of pie, & sprinkle over the caramel sauce.