Pistachio Birthday Cake Ice Cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 40 chocolate wafer cookies (Nabisco® brand works well), or 8 ounces of plain chocolate cookies 1 recipe Pistachio Ice Cream (recipe listed under Desserts), softened, or 5 to 6 cups of your favorite flavor ½ cup chopped pistachios, toasted

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 483 (63% from fat) • carb. 38g • pro. 8g • fat 35g • sat. fat 17g • chol. 182mg • sod. 176mg • calc. 122mg • fiber 2g

In a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, combine the butter and chocolate. Stirring occasionally, let heat until just melted. Reserve. Put the chocolate water cookies into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the melted butter/chocolate mixture through the feed tube of the processor and pulse until completely combined. Press ²∕³ of the chocolate crumb mixture into the bottom and half-way up the sides of an 8-inch spring-form pan. Place in freezer; chill 10 to 15 minutes to let crust harden. Remove from freezer and spread half of the ice cream over the chilled chocolate crust. Cover directly with plastic and return to freezer for about 30 minutes, or until just firm. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate crumb mixture over the chilled iced cream, press down gently, and return to freezer again to chill for about 30 minutes. Spread the remaining ice cream evenly over the top and smooth completely with an offset spatula. Cover and chill in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight to completely firm the cake. Before serving, remove the ice cream cake from the pan and sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top of the cake. Serve on chilled plates.