Mississippi Mud Pie

The owner of a now defunct cafe on the square in Chardon taught me how to make proper Mississippi Mud Pie.  This was quite a few years ago, and I've refined the recipe to be my own over time.  Be forwarned, once your family knows about this pie, you'll be making it for every family get together!  Most of all, I'm not responsible for the damage it will do to your waistline or cholesterol level.

• 2 Quarts of coffee ice cream (see below for options)
• 3 Tablespoons soft margarine or butter
• 1 can of whipped cream
• 1 jar of Smuckers Chocolate Fudge Topping
• 1 jar of Rothchild gourmet raspberry sauce (any brand will do, but get good stuff!)
• 30 Oreo cookies
• 1/4 cup Kahlua Liquor (see below for options)

Instructions:

Please note: The best results are had with Ben and Jerry's White Russian ice craam.  This is coffee ice cream with the Kahlua liquor already mixed in. This particular ice cream is, at times, almost impossible to find.  Mixing the Kahlua and coffee ice cream together to taste will get you pretty darn close.

1. Take ice cream out of freezer and let soften
2. Split all the Oreo cookies and discard all of the white sugar filling, leaving only the cookies.  Crush the cookies into crumbs.  Set aside a small amount of the cookie crumbs to garnish the top of the completed pie.
3. Combine combine cookie crumbs with the margarine or butter.  Press mixture into a 9 inch pie pan.  Don't grease or Pam the pan if it is a non-stick style pan.
4. Bake the formed pie crust in a 375 degree overn for 3-4 minutes to "set" the crust.  Let crust completely cool.  Once cooled, brush the inside of the crust with a thin layer of the gourmet raspberry sauce.
5. If you are using Ben and Jerry's White Russian ice cream, go ahead and fill the cooled pie crust with the softened ice cream.  If you are using the cofee ice cream/Kahlua method, mix enough Kahlua in with the coffee ice cream to your taste, then fill the cooled pie crust with this mixture.  Sprinkle the top of the pie with the leftover Oreo cookie crumbs.  Cover the pie and put into freezer to firm up.
6. Serve with fudge sauce drizzled over the top of the piece of pie, raspberry sauce on the side of the plate, and whipped cream on the top.  Some of the people like shaved almonds sprinkled on the top as well.

Please note: This oreo cookie pie shell is also great with chocolate mint chip ice cream

I hope you enjoy this Mississippi Mud pie as much as I do.

Best Regards,
Steve DiFranco