Mud Pie (American Muddy Mississippi Cake)

This super-rich pie, named after the dark, murky banks of the Mississippi river, is not for the faint of heart. Mississippi mud pie is a flavourful American dessert consisting of a cookie crust filled with numerous variable ingredients such as biscuits, ice cream, pudding, whipped cream, liqueur, and marshmallows. The pie is usually prepared in layers and often topped with almonds, pecans, chocolate syrup, or marshmallows. The origins of the dessert are still murky, so some believe that the pie is an updated version of Mississippi mud cake from the 1970s, while others claim that the pie was invented much longer ago in the Vicksburg-Natchez region near Jackson, Mississippi.

Crust:
6 oz chocolate wafer cookies (about 25)
½ cup pecans, chopped 
1 pinch sea salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter
6 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 cup raw sugar
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Topping:
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped 

Garnish:
chocolate shavings

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

For the Crust:  
Place the cookies, pecans and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until they form fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and process until combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.

For the Filling:
Place the butter and bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the mixture is melted. Stir until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream and espresso powder. Whisk in the granulated sugar, light corn syrup, vanilla extract and eggs. Fold in the melted chocolate. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the filling puffs and looks cracked around the edges, but is still slightly jiggly in the middle, about 35 minutes. Cool the pie completely. It will fall as it cools.

For the Topping:
After the pie is completely cool, beat the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread the cream onto the pie. Garnish with chopped pecans and chocolate shavings.

Makes one 9” round cake.

Cook's Note: To make nice large chocolate curls, start with room-temperature chocolate, and run a vegetable peeler along its side.