It’s very hot right now where I live. Yesterday, we got to 38 C/100F with the humidity and today is about the same. This weather calls for a cool, refreshing dessert that doesn’t involve the oven…. mud pie!
This recipe comes from my Mrs. Fields (as in Mrs. Fields Cookies) I Love Chocolate Cookbook. The original recipe doesn’t put salt in the caramel, but I just love salted caramel, so I added some in. The recipe calls for homemade caramel and espresso fudge sauce, but you could take a shortcut and use store-bought caramel and fudge. It’s not hard to make the sauces though, and they taste so much better, so it’s well worth making your own. Total cooking time for both sauces is about 30 minutes max, but it does take some time to make the pie because you have to chill each layer to set it before adding the next. I switched up the steps of the original recipe a bit because the fudge sauce needs time to cool to room temperature so I made that first. I followed the recipe and used vanilla ice cream, but I think coffee ice cream would be nice as well, for more of a mocha mud pie. If you can’t find macadamia nuts, you could use slivered almonds or skip the nuts altogether.
When I went to put on the top fudge layer, it had hardened a bit too much to spread. I heated it up slightly until it was spreadable again but either I heated it too much or the ice cream was not set enough as it started to melt into the ice cream a bit. So, I topped it with more macadamia nuts. No harm done!
This pie is a showstopper and would be great to make for a family gathering (when we’re back to having those!). It would please both kids and grownups alike!
[recipe title=”Chocolate-Salted Caramel Mud Pie” servings=”8-10″ cooktime=”4.5 hours including chilling time” difficulty=”easy-moderate” description=”This refreshing ice cream pie with it’s layers of chocolate fudge, salted caramel and vanilla ice cream will please kids and grownups alike!”]
[recipe-ingredients]
For the Crust
– 2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
– 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
For Salted Caramel Sauce
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 3 tbsp water
– 1/2 cup heavy cream
– 1/3 tsp salt
– 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Espresso Fudge Sauce
– 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
– 1/4 cup cocoa powder
– 4 tbsp unsalted butter
– 3/4 cup boiling water
– 2 tsp instant espresso powder
– 3/4 cup sugar
– 1/4 cup light corn syrup
– 1 tbsp coffee liqueur or 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Assembly
– 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
– 1/2 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts
[/recipe-ingredients][recipe-directions]
For Espresso Fudge
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped chocolate, cocoa, butter, hot water and espresso powder. Stir over low heat until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and corn syrup. Increase the heat to medium and stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Bring to a low boil and cook without stirring until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 12-15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the coffee liqueur.
5. Cool sauce to room temperature.
For the Crust
1. Combine wafer crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and partially up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan.
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
1. In a small heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water over low heat, stirring constantly.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then let boil without stirring until the syrup turns a light amber. Meanwhile heat the cream in the microwave for 1 minute until hot.
3. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the hot cream and salt (be careful, it will bubble rapidly). Continue stirring until all the caramel is melted into the cream. Stir in the butter and set aside to cool slightly, 5-10 minutes.
To Assemble the Pie
1. Pour warm caramel over the crust and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Pour 1 cup of the fudge sauce over the caramel and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Spread the softened ice cream over the fudge layer and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
4. Pour the remaining fudge sauce over the ice cream layer and top with macadamia nuts. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
To Serve
Wrap a hot, wet towel around the spring form pan for 2 minutes to loosen then remove the sides of the pan.
[/recipe-directions][/recipe]
For the fudge sauce, combine chocolate, cocoa powder, butter, espresso powder and hot water in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until combined.
Add sugar and corn syrup. Increase heat to medium and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a low boil and cook without stirring until sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon.
For the caramel sauce, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat without stirring, shaking the pan every so often until the caramel is a light amber colour.
Take pan off heat an stir in heavy cream and salt. Be careful, it bubbles quite a bit! Whisk until caramel is melted into the cream.
Stir in butter until combined. Let cool slightly.
For the crust, combine chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter.
Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan.
To assemble, pour caramel sauce over crust. Chill in the freezer until set, about 30 minutes.
Spread 1 cup of the fudge sauce over the caramel. Chill in the freezer until set, about 30 minutes.
Spread softened ice cream over the fudge. Chill in the freezer until set, about 1 hour.
Spread the rest of the fudge over the ice cream and sprinkle with macadamia nuts. My fudge melted into the ice cream a bit, so I just sprinkled on more nuts. Chill in the freezer until set, about 2 hours.
To serve, wrap a hot wet towel around the spring form pan for 2 minutes to loosen then remove the sides of the pan and slice.
