Mississippi Mud Pie entered the scene in 1950’s America, where it rocked Tupperware parties and ladies luncheons with is formidable richness. The original Mississippi Mud Pie was actually a cake and didn’t have a pie crust to speak of. It was baked in an oven dish or casserole, like brownies, then heaved with marshmallow cream (such as Fluff) and condemned by a rich, fudgy topping of chocolate ganache. If that’s not rich enough, it was also served with whipped cream. Modern interpretations for Mud Pie transformed this cake into a literal pie with a crust of its own. The marshmallow element was lost in time and has been replaced it with all kinds of elements from chocolate mousse to whipped cream. In this version, I pay homage to mud pie’s Missouri roots by retaining the same rich, muddy chocolate filling encased in a chocolate cookie-pecan crust. It’s a press-in-the-pan cheesecake-like crust, so it won’t test your pastry skills. Once baked and settled, the pie is heaped with marshmallow - whether whole or in spreadable form - and for bonus complexity, torched. And to finish, whipped cream and a sensible drizzle of chocolate ganache never hurt anybody. Let’s go!
