Frozen Chocolate Mud Pie with Hot Fudge

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The retro freezer-case dessert done right at home: a pressed chocolate cookie crumb crust, a thick slab of softened coffee and chocolate ice cream, and a layer of glossy homemade hot fudge frozen solid on top. Make it days ahead, then slice clean wedges with a hot knife and finish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Nine dollars of groceries, ten servings, zero baking skill required.

Ingredients

• 9 oz chocolate sandwich cookies (about 24 cookies, filling and all)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1.5 quart coffee ice cream
• 1 pint chocolate ice cream

• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, for shaving

• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds or chopped toasted pecans

Instructions

1. Line a 9-inch springform pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with a strip of parchment up the sides (this makes unmolding painless). Clear a level spot in your freezer that will fit the pan — you'll be going back to it four times.
2. Pulse the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, about 30 seconds; you should have roughly 2 1/4 cups. No processor? Seal them in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin until sandy with no big shards. Stir in the melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt until the crumbs look like wet sand and hold together when squeezed.
3. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the pan, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup to compact them hard — a dense crust is what lets you cut clean wedges later. Freeze 20 minutes until firm.
4. Make the hot fudge: combine the 2/3 cup heavy cream, corn syrup, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter, and let sit 2 minutes, then whisk smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into a bowl and let cool to just barely warm, about 20 minutes — it should be pourable but not hot.
5. Meanwhile, set the coffee ice cream out on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes, until it's soft enough to stir but not melted or soupy. Scoop it into a large bowl and mash with a sturdy spoon until it's the texture of thick frosting.
6. Spread the softened coffee ice cream into the chilled crust in an even layer, pressing out air pockets. Smooth the top flat with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Freeze 45 minutes until firm to the touch.
7. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the cooled hot fudge over the coffee layer and spread it nearly to the edges. Scatter the toasted nuts over the fudge if using. Return to the freezer for 15 minutes so the fudge sets.
8. Soften the chocolate ice cream the same way, 10 minutes on the counter, mash smooth, and spread it over the fudge layer in an even dome. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap pressed to the surface, then foil, and freeze at least 6 hours or up to 5 days — overnight is ideal.
9. Warm the remaining fudge sauce briefly (10 to 15 seconds in the microwave, stirred) so it's just fluid, then spoon it over the frozen pie in a thin layer, letting a little run down the sides. Freeze uncovered 30 more minutes to set the topping into a fudgy shell.
10. Whip the cold 1 cup heavy cream with the powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to firm peaks, 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer. Shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler.
11. To serve, dip a long thin knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and cut straight down through the pie; re-dip and wipe between every slice. Release the springform ring (or lift with the parchment) and plate 10 wedges. Top each with a spoonful of whipped cream and a shower of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately — this dessert waits for no one.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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