The paternal side of my husband's family has deep roots in the deep south. Papa Coco grew up in New Iberia, birthplace of the famous Tabasco sauce, and I credit the Coco clan for my love of spicy fare. My relationship with Cajun cuisine has been a sizzling one. I've eaten my way across the New Orleans area a number of times, keeping syncopated step with Dixieland music and jazz while cavorting with po boy sandwiches, dirty rice and gobs of gumbo all doused with that ubiquitous Tabasco. It's a good thing I don't live in the Big Easy for I would surely be as big as a bayou.
The pièce de résistance of Louisiana fare, however, is the dessert. Beignets with chicory café au lait and pralines are the perfect chasers after a spicy meal. I'm not a Starbucks fan, but if Cafe du Monde ever become a franchise chain, I would probably be the first to buy in! With coffee and caramel pecans as my inspiration, I present to you Louisiana Mudslide Pie. It's a frozen ice cream pie, an ideal counterpoint to the peppery fire of a Cajun dinner and the sultry southern summer heat.
Pecans are incorporated into the pie crust and can also be used as a garnish. A premium coffee flavored ice cream is a requirement, and if you can find it studded with chocolate pieces, that's all the better. Purchase a good quality caramel sauce as well as a thick hot fudge sauce. I've included my recipe for fudge sauce which is easy to prepare and can be stored for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. This is the sauce I used in my Love Potion pie, and I'm not so humble to say, this sauce is swoon-worthy!
Bon appétit!
Crust:
1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, finely ground in a coffee mill
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients together and press evenly into a 9 1/2-inch pie pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool.
Filling:
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce (you can use bottled, but recipe is below)
1/2 gallon coffee ice cream, softened
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans for garnish (optional)
Spoon 1/3 cup of caramel topping and into cooled pie crust and freeze for about 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and spread half of ice cream over the caramel sauce. Spread another 1/3 cup of caramel sauce and 2/3 cup of hot fudge sauce over the ice cream. Sprinkle with 1/4 cups chocolate chips and then spread remaining ice cream into the pie pan. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons each of the caramel and hot fudge sauce over top of pie. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and sprinkle with pecans if desired.
Freeze at least 4 hours before serving.
Fudge Sauce:
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat the milk, chocolate chips and sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for the pie and store the remaining sauce in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for another use.
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