SHELBI I love ice cream, anything ice cream! (I guess I’m a lot like Dad.) But I also love icing and cake, so I thought it would be a great idea to mix ice cream and a cupcake, and make a mini– ice cream cake. That way, everyone can have their cake and ice cream, too. GINA AND PAT These make us want to be a teenager again, too. Luckily, that’s not a requirement for making or eating them. Just check out the ingredients and you know you’re in for a real treat. Make a dozen, no matter how small your party is, because they’ll keep in the freezer for several days.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 cupcakes

　　12 Oreo cookies, finely crushed

　　3 tablespoons melted butter

　　2 pints Rocky Road ice cream, softened

　　1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

　　1 1/2 cups whipped topping, thawed

　　1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

　　12 Maraschino cherries

　　

Step 1

Line a twelve-cup muffin tin with decorative liners.

　　

Step 2

Combine the crushed cookie pieces and butter in a large bowl. Divide the cookie mixture among the twelve cupcake liners, and press down to form a crust. Add a large scoop of ice cream to each cupcake, and carefully spread to cover the crust and fill the cup. Drizzle each cupcake with caramel, and then pipe the whipped topping on the cupcakes, using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Top each cupcake with sprinkles and a cherry. Freeze for 3 hours, or until firm.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.