Mud Pie {shout out to corn bread muffins}

The other night my good friend, Kristy, invited the family around for dinner. She spent several years in America and like me misses some classic dishes. She made us BBQ pulled pork with homemade baked beans and a broccoli and bacon salad. I of course provided the dessert and I brought along the corn bread muffins.

I always volunteer for the baking or desserts when having dinner at friends! I will continue to do us until they tell me no! Then I’ll probably just provide chips and dips, I’m an average cook you see and I wouldn't want any pressure. O_o

Savory recipes never get a lot of attention here on my blog, so if you really want the recipe for these corn bread muffins you need to check out Baked in America by the David’s from Outsider Tart. They are the best corn bread/muffins I have ever made. 

Mississippi Mud Pie has many variations so in some ways it’s a very easy pie to play with. I’ve seen them with or with out nuts, coffee or with out coffee. I choose a recipe without coffee and then decided to top it with marshmallows and pecans.

Chocolate shortcrust pastry:

200g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

50g icing sugar

150g unsalted butter, chopped and cold

3 egg yolks

1tsp vanilla

Sift the flour, cocoa, and sugar together and gently rub together until it looks like bread crumbs.

Add the egg yolks and vanilla into the center of the breadcrumbs and gently bring it together using you’re hands. Gently place it on a floured work surface and form into a ball. Touching it as little as possible, then wrap in clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Roll out the chilled pastry on the clingfilm it was chilling in to fit a greased, 10in (25cm) deep tart tin. * Gently roll it onto the rolling pin and roll out onto the tart tin. Press the pastry gently into the tin. Roll the rolling pin over the top to trim off any excess pastry. Remove the clingfilm then prick with a fork and chill in the fridge for about 15 mins.

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line the pastry with a grease proof baking sheet and place baking beans on top or dried beans. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes. The base should be dry. If it’s not give it a few more minutes.

Mud Pie

200g dark chocolate, broken up

175g butter, softened

350g dark muscovado sugar

4 large eggs

4 tbsp cocoa powder

400ml double cream

Bring the temperature of the oven down to 160C.

Melt the chocolate in you’re preferred method. If you are confident with it in the microwave or in a small sauce pan by all means do so. If not it’s safest to place a heat proof bowl over a simmering pot of water. Once melted set aside to cool.

Beat the butter and sugar together until lighter in color and fluffy. Gradually beat in one egg at a time, the slower the better to prevent curdling. Fold in sifted cocoa powder and cooled melted chocolate. Lastly stir in the double cream.

Pour into the cooked pastry and bake for about 45-50 minutes. ** or until set. Leave to cool completely before refrigerating.

to finish:

500ml whipped cream

3tsp vanilla sugar

choice of toppings: pecans and marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles etc…

About an hour before serving, whip up the cream with the vanilla sugar to soft peaks (I always end up over whipping now with my KitchenAid as I walk away…oops!) Pile on top however you want and decorate with you’re chosen toppings.

notes: Please let me know if you’d like to see more savory recipes, but until the people speak I will keep it sweet!

* I don’t have a deep tart tin nor do I have a 10in one, so I made it in a 9in and regular tart tin. If you have a loose bottom one use that because it’s really hard to get out of a regular old tart tin; although, if you’re traveling, then a non-loose bottom tin would be ideal. I did have leftover pastry and filling. Both are sitting in my fridge as I write this thinking I might make a few mini tarts later.

**Since my tin wasn’t as big it took exactly 45 minutes.

This pie is adapted from Tart it Up! By Eric Lanlard