Brownie Ice Cream Cake

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup flour
1 pint good quality coffee or other flavored ice cream
2 pints good quality chocolate or other flavored ice cream
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Garnish: warmed chocolate sauce, maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.

Microwave the chocolate and water in a medium bowl on HIGH for 50 seconds; repeat at 10 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Add butter and beat with mixer on medium speed until smooth and glossy. Beat in the 1/2 cup sugar, then the eggs. Scrape down the side of bowl and beat in vanilla extract, baking powder and baking soda.

Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour just until blended. Spread evenly in the prepared pie plate. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist not wet crumbs sticking to it.

Place on a wire rack and when cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes, hold pie plate still and gently rotate brownie with your thumbs until it loosens from pie plate. (this makes serving easier) With a metal spoon, scoop soft brownie mixture from center, leaving a shell about 1/4 inch thick. Loosely wrap scooped out brownie, place in center of pie plate, wrap pie and freeze at least 1 hour or up to 1 month.

Remove scooped out brownie. Spread coffee ice cream over bottom of pie shell Sprinkle with about half the scooped out brownie. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

Spread with chocolate ice cream. Cover and freeze at least 3 hours or up to 1 week.

About 1 hour before serving, beat heavy cream with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. Spread over ice cream, or spoon whipped cream into a decorating bag fitted with a star tip and pipe around edge. Garnish with remaining scooped out brownie, the warmed chocolate sauce and maraschino cherries. Return to freezer until 30 minutes before serving, then transfer to refrigerator so ice cream can soften slightly.

Serves 10.