MUD PIE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a food processor, whizz the biscuits to a fine crumb. Pour in the melted butter and pulse briefly to mix well. Spoon into a 24cm pie dish and press into the base and up the sides. Bake in the oven for 10 mins to firm up.
• To make the brownie layer, melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (making sure that the bottom doesn’t touch the water), or in short bursts in the microwave.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until pale, fluffy and doubled in size, then add the sugar and whisk until thickened. Fold in the chocolate mixture, then sieve in the flour and fold in.
• Pour into the baked biscuit case and return to the oven for 15–20 mins until the brownie has a crust on top. Set aside and leave to cool (if the brownie has risen a lot, it should sink down slightly as it cools).
• Once the brownie base is cooled, put the custard, chocolate and vanilla in a pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted into the custard. Remove from the heat.
• Soak the gelatine in a little cold water and, once softened, remove from the water and squeeze to remove any excess. Stir into the warm custard mixture until dissolved. Let the custard cool slightly, then pour over the brownie layer. Put in the fridge for a few hrs, or overnight, until set.
• Remove the mud pie from the fridge about 30 mins before serving so that it can come to room temperature for easy slicing. Just before serving, whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon it over the custard layer, then grate over some dark chocolate.

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.