Minty Mudslide Pie

Special Birthday Pie

My niece is jealous of my nephew. His birthday is in June, or, more specifically, during the Summer of Pie. Her birthday, in September, is not, and, as I heard repeatedly, this is NOT fair.

Thus, because of the vast unfairness of the entire universe (she’s eleven, it’s all very dramatic), you all are getting some extra special fall birthday ice cream pie action. She was inspired by the kids’ “dirt and worms” sundae to make a pie that had a chocolate layer (dirt), mint ice cream (grass), and gummy worms (omitted by me). I filled in some of the gaps: the fudge layer is mud or, as my nephew guessed, lava; the brownie pieces are part of the earth’s shifting rocky mantle; and the mini chocolate chips on top are litter. It’s all highly realistic and delicious. Just like the Earth.

Happy unfairest of birthdays Min!

MINTY MUDSLIDE PIE

Chocolate Wafer Crust

2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1 stick butter
1/3 cup sugar

Heat oven to 350°.

Place wafer cookies in a plastic zip bag and work out your aggressions with a rolling-pin until cookies have been reduced to fine crumbs. Melt the butter and mix thoroughly with crumbs, and sugar. Press firmly into the bottom and sides of a 9″ deep dish pie pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to set. Bake at 350° for 10 min. Let cool completely before adding filling (can be done in the refrigerator).

Hot Fudge

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp butter

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, chocolate, and butter. Stir until chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Pour about 2/3 of mixture into prepared pie shell (extra can be saved to pour over pie slices later or just saved to use later), use a spatula to gently spread it up the sides of the shell.

Brownie Pieces

2 cups brownie pieces, cut into 1/2″ cubes

Here’s my favorite brownie recipe from King Arthur Flour.

My tip: whenever you make a batch of brownies, take some and cut them into small cubes. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or a freezer bag, then wrap again in foil. You can then keep them fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months to use as ice cream mix-ins. That’s what I did for this pie. Or you could just buy some brownies.

Sprinkle brownie pieces on top of fudge in the pie shell. Place in the fridge or freezer to cool completely.

Mint Ice Cream

3 cups whole milk or half & half
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
Scant 1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp green Creme de Menthe

Special equipment: an ice cream maker or find out how to make ice cream without one.

Bring 2 3/4 cups milk just to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat. While milk is heating, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and 1/4 cup (cold) milk in a bowl until smooth, then whisk into boiling milk and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Boil, whisking frequently, 4-5 minutes (mixture will be very thick). Stir in Creme de Menthe. Cool slightly, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming, then cover surface with wax paper and chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours to overnight.

Prepare mixture in ice cream maker according to instructions. Pour into prepared pie shell and sprinkle top with mini chocolate chips. Freeze immediately for at least 3 hours to overnight (should be wrapped in plastic if freezing overnight).