Dad loved root beer floats…. A&W or made at home. Scoop that rich, creamy vanilla ice cream into a tall glass. Pour in the bubbly root beer. Insert straw. Go crazy with happy flavors and fizziness!
A favorite memory of making root beer hails from my childhood. Dad’s Mom made her own root beer in a variety of bottles, all carefully corked and resting on her side porch… until that day when the corks started popping out of the bottles. And I mean they all popped… with root beer spraying wildly all over the porch, side of the house, and ceiling. Ooooh! Picture the sticky mess! Ah, these are the prices we pay sometimes when home brewing!
But. Silly stories aside… I must share another twist on the classic root beer float. Talk about Super Simple!!!
Root Beer Float Pie
Strawberries, seedless mandarin orange sections, peach slices, or chocolate shavings or chips also make yummy garnishing options. Also, the root beer extract is not essential, but it adds a nice intensity to the flavor. And if you like to make fresh whipped cream, rather than using Cool Whip, by all means… THAT is the very best, in fact.
3/4 c cold root beer (diet or high test)
2 tsp root beer extract
½ c milk (regular, 2%, or skim)
1 (1-oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding mix (sugar free is AOK)
1 (8-oz) Cool Whip, thawed (1/2 c set aside in refrigerator for garnish)
1 (9”) graham cracker crust
8 maraschino cherries, garnish
In large bowl, combine root beer, extract, milk, & pudding mix, whisking very well. Use a rubber spatula to then fold in half the Cool Whip. Spread evenly in crust. Spread remaining Cool Whip on top of pie and freeze overnight. Use the reserved ½ c of Cool Whip to place 8 dollops around edges of pie, one on each of what will be 8 slices. Top each with a cherry and serve cold.
