Ice Cream Crunch

Description
The key ingredients in this dessert are the ice cream, rice cereal, shredded coconut, and nuts. This sweet, ice-cold dish is great for other desserts and keeps a soothing taste with the ice cream. Puffed rice often replaces rice cereal and works for this too.

Ingredients

 * 8 cups ice cream, any flavor
 * 3 cups crispy rice cereal or (3 cups puffed rice)
 * 2 cups shredded coconut, toasted
 * 1 ½ cups toasted, chopped nuts (almonds or peanuts)
 * ½ cup packed brown sugar
 * ½ cup butter, melted
 * sliced coconut meat, optional

Directions

 * 1) Soften ice cream in the refrigerator between 30 and 50 minutes.
 * 2) Meanwhile, mix together cereal, coconut, nuts, sugar and butter.
 * 3) Spread half of the cereal mixture into the bottom of baking dish then spoon ice cream over top smoothing with back of a spoon.
 * 4) Sprinkle the remaining cereal mixture over top and freeze until set.
 * 5) Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes then cut into squares with the chef's knife. Serve cold and plain. Top with the sliced coconut meat, if desired.