Chocolate cookie crust? Check. 

Fudgy chocolate filling?  Check.

Dreamy coffee ice cream? Check. 

Toasted pecans?  Check.

Fudgy topping? Check. 

Dessert perfection? Check and check again!! Really guys, I don't think my home judges have been more excited by a dessert in a long time. Several even informed me that it was going to be their birthday request from now on. And for all it's layers and decadence, the actual making of this irresistible concoction, is easy. If the coffee and chocolate combo is your thing, you are going to fall madly in love with this!!! Monday is looking better and better!

You'd think with all the different layers and fudginess, that this pie would wind up being too rich and heavy, but surprisingly it isn't. Nor is it overly sweet. I think the coffee ice cream goes a long way towards helping with that. For this pie, I made my own and I've included the recipe for you below, but the pie would be amazing with a good store brought brand too! Just note that if you're making your own, you definitely need to start a day ahead of when you want to serve this. 

Basically, you're just making a lot of easy to put together layers. The most time consuming part is allowing one to freeze or chill before you add the next layer. First up is the chocolate cookie crust that gets topped with an almost chewy, deeply chocolaty filling.  

Next comes the coffee ice cream and toasted pecans. 

And finally, the whole shebang gets "drizzled" with a fudgy sauce that hardens when you freeze it.

Yum!!  It's the perfect summer treat--no baking involved. And while it probably has a billion calories, every bite is so worth that extra time in the gym!! Maybe it could be your special birthday dessert too!

Mississippi Mud Ice Cream Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Prep time:  All of the layers come together in just a few minutes but you need to allow several hours of chilling time between them.

Ingredients

For the cookie crust

• 30 chocolate wafer cookies (I used the Nabisco brand) 
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the filling

• 4 ounces good quality dark chocolate 
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 pint good quality coffee ice cream, store bought or see recipe below  
• 1/2 cup toasted coarsely chopped pecans  

For the coffee ice cream

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk  
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder

For the fudge topping 

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 3 ounces good quality dark chocolate

The Recipe

1.  To make the cookie crust:  place the cookies in a food processor and grind into fine crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, place the cookies into a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush them up. Place the crumbs in a bowl, add the sugar and mix well. Then add the melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate, trying to make sure it is evenly distributed on the bottom and sides. Use the back of a spoon to press it down, if necessary. Place the crust in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.

2.  To make the filling:  place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Place the cream, butter and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and heat to a simmer. Stir well and then pour over the chocolate in the bowl. Let sit for 1 minute and then whisk until the mixture is completely smooth. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar.

3.  Remove the crust from the fridge and spread the filling evenly across the bottom. Return the pie to the fridge and let cool 2 hours.

4.  If you are buying the ice cream ignore this next step. If you are making the coffee ice cream homemade:  Place the yolks in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Place the cream, milk, sugar, salt and espresso powder into a medium heavy bottomed saucepan and over medium heat, bring the mixture to a  low, steady simmer without letting it actually boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs slightly and while whisking constantly, slowly pour in about half the hot mixture. Then pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the mixture, scraping the bowl well. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden or silicon spoon, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or reaches 175 degrees in an instant thermometer. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl or container, let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 8 hours and up to one day. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Freeze until ready to use. This makes about one quart which is more than you need for the pie. Whatever will you do with the leftovers?!!

5.  Whether you made your own or bought it, you need to allow the ice cream to soften. When the consistency is soft enough to spread, use a rubber spatula to spread it across the chilled fudge filling. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly on top, pressing them in a bit. Freeze the pie for about 2 hours.

6.  To make the fudge topping:  place the cream, butter and corn syrup into a small saucepan and stir together. Heat over low heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, whisking until smooth. Then use the whisk to beat the mixture until it cools down to room temperature. Remove the pie from the freezer and quickly pour the sauce in a zigzag fashion over the ice cream. Return the pie to the freezer for at least 30 minutes to set and up to one week before serving. If you're making this way ahead, make sure you wrap the pie well so it doesn't get freezer burn. When ready to serve, have a glass of warm water nearby to dip the knife into so you can get neat slices.

Enjoy! 

Note:  Recipe adapted from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. I left the bourbon out of the filling and fudge topping and the Kahlua out of the ice cream.