Carla Halls Mississippi Mud Pie Recipes

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat flour, pecans and butter until blended. Press into the bottom of a 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; cool completely. , Make chocolate pudding according to package directions; let stand 5 minutes. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust. Spread pudding over cream cheese layer; top with remaining whipped topping. If desired, top with additional pecans and chocolate curls.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Process cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter, and pulse until combined. Press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Freeze the crust while preparing the filling.
• For the brownie layer: Preheat the oven to 350º. Melt the butter and chocolate in a small microwavable bowl on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until lightened in color and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the pecans, espresso granules, vanilla, flour, and cocoa powder until combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour the filling into cold crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and set (center may still jiggle slightly). Cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
• For the pudding layer: Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, whisking well. Pour in the milk and egg yolks, and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking, over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and becomes thick, about 3 to 4 minutes. When it starts to bubble and thicken, remove it from the heat. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and butter, and stir until everything is combined. Pour the pudding on top of the cooled brownie layer in the pie dish and let cool 20 minutes. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, to chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• To make the topping, beat the heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar with a mixer at medium high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Spoon on top of the pie. Garnish with chopped pecans and chocolate shavings.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, grind the graham crackers to fine crumbs - you should have about 2 1/4 cups crumbs - and tip into a bowl. Add sugar, salt and butter, and toss until evenly moistened. Tip the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Use your fingers to press the crumbs into a thin, even layer on the bottom of the pan and at least 2 1/4 inches up its sides. Bake the crust until just set, about 10 minutes. (The crust will continue to cook in the next step.) Increase heat to 350 degrees.
• Prepare the cake: In a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water but not touching it, melt together the butter and chocolate. (Alternatively, do this in short bursts in the microwave but be careful not to scorch the chocolate.) Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the 3 large egg yolks.
• In large bowl, beat the remaining 3 large egg whites with an electric mixer on medium until foamy, about 30 seconds. While mixing, gradually add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beat until you have stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg-white mixture evenly into the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour evenly over the chocolate mixture and fold it in. Transfer the batter to the prepared crust and smooth the top. Bake until a crust has formed over the top, the center is just set and a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edges comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. The center of the cake, under the crust, should still be very moist and fudgy. (Peek under the crust if necessary.) Do not overbake. The cake will sink slightly as it cools. Let the cake cool completely, at least 90 minutes.
• Prepare the custard: Set the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and set it aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. Add the milk, little by little, while whisking to incorporate it fully. Whisk in the egg yolks. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and just come to a low boil. Continue to cook the custard, whisking, for another minute, then immediately pour it into the sieve, pushing it through with a small spatula. Let the custard stand for 1 minute, then whisk it together with the butter and chocolate until smooth. Pour the custard over the cooled cake. Cover the custard with plastic wrap or wax paper, making sure to press it gently into the surface of the custard. Chill until the custard has set completely, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Just before serving, remove the ring from springform pan base and transfer pie to a serving plate. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon high dollops over the top of the pie, leaving about a 1-inch border. Dust with cocoa powder.

CARLA'S CLASSIC PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1/3 cup water and chill until cold.
• Pulse the flour and butter in a stand mixer until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add the water all at once and mix until the dough almost forms a ball. Divide the dough in half and flatten into two disks.
• Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pulse the graham crackers and pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter and process until moistened. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chocolate crumb mixture for topping, then press the rest into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until set, about 10 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring. Remove from the heat, then stir in the flour and salt until smooth. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, coffee liqueur and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake until set and cracked on top (like a brownie), about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly, about 2 hours (the pie should still be slightly warm).
• Make the whipped cream: Beat the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla with a mixer until soft peaks form. Top the pie with the whipped cream, pecans and reserved chocolate crumb mixture. Drizzle with chocolate sauce.

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE I

Steps:

• Thoroughly blend graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and butter. Press firmly in bottom of 9x13 inch pan.
• Blend together half the whipped topping, 3/4 cup sugar, and softened cream cheese. Spread mixture on top of crust.
• Whip together the puddings and milk and spread on top of cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping.

CARLA HALL'S MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

Steps:

• For the Brownie Batter: Gently melt butter and chocolate together in a glass bowl in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, salt, sugars and vanilla.
• Stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture, and then add flour. Stir just until combined.
• For the Chocolate Pudding: Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, salt, cocoa powder and flour in a medium bowl. Slowly stir milk into dry mixture.
• Put mixture in medium sauce pot and cook until mixture begins to thicken.
• Beat egg yolks in a small bowl, then briskly stir a small amount of the hot mixture (about 1/2 cup) into this mixture. Add egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in top of double boiler and stir in butter and vanilla. Cook until mixture thickens again. Set aside.
• To Build Pie: Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with the butter until thoroughly mixed. Press into a lightly greased springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes to set the crust.
• Scrape brownie batter into the chocolate crust, forming an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out somewhat clean. Allow to cool slightly, and then pour pudding over the brownie layer, spreading into an even layer.
• Combine the heavy cream and vanilla and whip until peaks form, and use to top the chocolate pudding layer. Garnish with more crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.