Nana's Mississippi Mud Pie! :)

A million apologies!!! I haven't posted a recipe in ages...so sorry about that ;)

I've been meaning to post this one for a gooo-d while, haha. It is my Granny's positively ancient recipe for Mississippi Mud Pie, and it goes without saying, it is just the best...that crunchy biscuit base, that sticky, gooey chocolaty filling, and then a scattering of divine little chocolate eggs on top...it's simply irresistible. It's a non-bake version - all it requires is a bit of mixing, a bit of smashing, a bit of melting - and then a bit of chilling in the fridge for it to set properly. Don't expect the filling to be very hard, though - it should be seductively squishy and soft. The marshmallows assist greatly in this. ;)

The choccie eggs are optional, of course, but I think they are just so adorable on top, and maybe you would even consider making this as a special Easter treat in about a month and a bit's time ;) haha...I know I'm a little premature, writing this, but hey, I saw a Christmas ad on the TV the other day so I don't think I need to feel too guilty. ;) Unless, of course, I have negatively impacted on anyone's intentions to give up chocolate for Lent.... ;)

Ingredients :)

• 280 g digestive biscuits
• 150 g butter, diced
• 400 g plain chocolate
• 200 g marshmallows
• 40 g soft light brown sugar
• 4 tbsp full-fat milk
• 375 ml whipping or double cream
• Sugar-coated eggs to decorate.. <3

Method:)

1. Grease a 22cm round springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Crush the biscuits in a freezer bag to fine crumbs. Place the butter and 50g of the plain chocolate in a saucepan. Melt very gently over a very low heat. 
3. Coarsely grate up another 50 g of the plain chocolate. Let the melted butter and chocolate cool a little before adding the crushed biscuits and the grated chocolate.
4. Mix together well and then transfer to the prepared tin, pressing it up the sides slightly. Leave to chill while you make the filling.
5. Roughly chop the remaining 300g of the plain chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water on the hob. Allow to melt, stirring now and again with a wooden spoon.
6. While the chocolate is melting, place the marshmallows in a separate saucepan and add the 4 tbsp milk. Place on a very low heat and allow to melt, stirring now and again with a wooden spoon.
7. Whip the cream until it just begins to hold its shape and soft peaks have formed. Fold in the light brown soft sugar. Sift through the sugar with your fingers before you add it to the cream, breaking up any clumps.
8. When both the chocolate and the marshmallow mixtures are melted, pour the melted marshmallows in the chocolate and mix together well.
9. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then stir in the whipped cream. Mix in well.
10. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the fridge, and then transfer onto the biscuit base. Smooth out and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
11. When the pie is ready, place it on a plate and remove the tin - I usually unclip the sides and leave it sitting on the tin base as it is often quite difficult to remove it from this without blemishing the mud pie's smooth surface. :)
12. Scatter over a few little chocolate eggs, and your muddy creation is complete. Serve on its own or with ice cream or cream. :) xxxxx 

A very muddy mud pie. :)

Now I did say I, if you recall a former post, that I was going to make something sweet in the shortcrust pastry line. Shortcrust pastry...oh, such grief it has caused me in the dim and distant past.  Honestly! Many a time I have made it and have either undercooked it or overcooked it; or made it greasy by handling too much, or...ahh, that's the thing with pastry I suppose. There are just so many rules and regualtions the baker must be aware of, and adhere to. Anyway, at least this time, my determination and carefulness did actually pay off...yes, I did indeed succeed in making a beautiful golden pastry case which was just perfect for being filled with...well, some kind of filling. 

I baked it blind you see - another thing that I did before which went horribly wrong, baking blind. I have unpleasant memories of baked blind pastry cases which were cooked around the edges but still soggy and greasy on the bottom...any baker's worst nightmare, I am sure. I atually recall one particular pastry case being a weird grey coulour on the bottom after my attempt at baking it blind. :( But this was not the case this time - my pastry case was perfect. One of the mistakes I had definitely made before was not filling the pastry case to the very top with baking beans (or dried pasta, in my case as I unfortunately don't have any baking beans.); which are used to weigh it down and stop it from bubbling upwards when it is cooking. (me being frugal again, I'm afraid.) But THIS time I filled my case right up to the top with Tesco Value rice which noone was obviously going to eat anyway (with the exception of myself and the doggies, the whole household seems to have become very particular when it comes to rice these days...only basmati will do.). And so, with about half a kilogram of rice weighing it down, we had no such problems with bubbling upwards like the last time. Yay!

And now, for the filling. I had only recently made apple and blackberry crumble, and what with the little crop of rhubarb in the garden still looking pretty scraggly and uninspiring, I didn't think apple and blackberry pie or rhubarb pie/tart was going to be on the cards. And besides, my brother had made a request for a mudpie earlier on this summer..but not the traditional mudpie as we know it...one with a pastry base instead of the usual biscuit one, and lots of whipped cream on top. And so that's exactly what I did.

The only thing that slightly eroded my feelings of triumph were the mixed reactions I got from the guys...my brother of course was well happy, but my Dad maintains that, though my dessert was lovely, he prefers the traditional biscuit crust, and that chocolate and pastry are two entities which should be kept separate. Well anyway, I was content enough...Ganache-Elf had FINALLY, after many trials and tribulations, succeeded in making shortcurst pastry which was buttery, melt-in-the-mouth and delicious...double yay. :) 

Now I promise you that I will, as soon as I make it with the biscuit crust, share with you my recipe for mississippi mud pie (with both biscuit and pastry bases.)...seriously now, I know you might have your own one, or are convinced that Tesco Finest's version cannot be compared to...but honestly, this mississippi mud pie is not one you will want to miss out on, at all. It is my Granny's old recipe, and its high levels of sticky muddy chocolatiness make it extremely naughty, intensely indulgent, and, arguably, of the stuff any diehard chocaholic could only dream of. In the meantime, perhaps decide whether you are going to go for the biscuit or the pastry case, and start stocking up on chocolate. You're going to need a lot. ;)