Mountain High Mud Pie

Can’t talk. Too busy eating.
OK. I have wiped my fingers and have deposited my plate into the sink. Where to begin…
I wanted mud pie and Glen, from LC-Foods Corp., sent me his LC-vanilla and LC-chocolate ice cream mixes to review, along with his LC-fudge sauce. I combined numerous tasks into a two-day dessertapalooza that took some testing, some tweaking, and some perfecting before I felt comfortable enough sharing the results. I am, needless to say, extremely happy (and so are the kids–and a friend, who somehow magically showed up when she saw there was a mud pie on the counter).  I have a way of making the ice cream sans the ice cube trays and the ice cream maker here, if you’re interested. It works wonderfully and is super easy.

That said, you can use the ice cream and fudge sauce products I’ve mentioned above or… 

If you don’t keep make-it-yourself ice cream and fudge on hand (or if you can’t wait for yours to arrive), you can use any of the low carb ice creams available in the stores. I have to hand it to Glen, though. It’s hard to find a maltitol free ice cream that is worth the effort–and these are phenomenal. I like them. My kids like them. We all like them. They’re liked.

For the sugar free sauces, if you buy locally, you can use Smuckers Sugar Free Hot Fudge Topping and Smuckers Sugar Free Caramel Topping  found at Super-Walmart  and other large grocery chains since the sauces are ready to go and run about $1.99/jar. The downside to the locality and the price: Maltitol. Be sure to not go crazy on the stuff, or you might experience some stomach upset. Still, I say it’s probably worth the delicious, nougaty, fudgy risk if you can stomach it.

In lieu of peanut butter, feel free to go with almond butter, macadamia nut butter or to sun nut butter (my new favorite)  if you’re legumeless.

You can go crust free if that zips your bip. I just like the added crunch that the nut crust offers. Why the triple nut combination? I like the flavors when melded, since they all bring something to the table.  And since a sundae-type ice cream pie just seems vacant minus some nut action, I had to abide and get them in there.  

Can you make this recipe lower-fat? Yes, if you buy a low-fat ice cream and skip the nut crust and  the peanut butter. 

Can you make this recipe dairy free? Yes, if you coat a head of cauliflower in chocolate–and then people will think you’re nuts.  I kid! I kid! You could make an ice cream with a coconut milk-based or almond milk-based ice cream, and you’d be golden, so long as there’s no dairy in your fudge sauce. 

Tip: Do not allow ice cream to melt when softening in between stages or you’re likely to end up with ice crystals, which dilutes the flavor of the dessert. Keep ice cream cool, even when softening, preferable in the refrigerator.

This recipe is gluten free and can be sugar free depending on peanut butter used


Mountain High Mud Pie

Filling:
LC-Chocolate Ice Cream Mix*prepared
LC-Vanilla Ice Cream Mix* prepared
Sugar free chocolate fudge
Peanut butter
Sugar free caramel sauce
Chopped pecans
Whipped cream

Crust:
1 cup finely processed, mixed nuts (equal parts: almonds, pecans and macadamias)
1 packet sweetener of your choice
2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a piece of parchment paper by cutting into a 9″ circle. Place parchment in pie pan. Mix ingredients and press into the bottom of a 9” pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
Let crust cool.

Process:
1. Vanilla layer: Let vanilla ice cream soften in the refrigerator, about 20 minutes. In a mixing bowl with a 9” wide diameter across the lip, scoop softened vanilla ice cream to about half full. Smooth surface. Place, covered, in freezer for 2 hours.

2. Fudge sauce layer: Remove bowl from freezer. Over the vanilla ice cream, spread 1 cup of the chocolate fudge sauce and 4 Tbsp peanut butter (they’ll mix together). Top with 1 cup chopped pecans. Place, covered, in freezer for 2 hours.

3. Chocolate layer: In refrigerator, soften chocolate ice cream for about 20 minutes. Spread chocolate ice cream over the nut layer and smooth. Place, covered, in freezer for about 2 hours.

4. Nut crust layer: Remove mixing bowl from the freezer. While still frozen, invert bowl over crust so bowl is upside down. Carefully flip crust onto the bowl and remove paper. Make sure crust is making contact with chocolate ice cream. Place back in freezer, covered, until ready to assemble.

5. To plate: Set mixing bowl in warm water for one minute, until ice cream slightly melts. Place serving plate over the crust and invert bowl onto plate. Frost outside of cake with hot fudge sauce. Drizzle with warm caramel sauce.

6. To serve: Dip serving knife into very hot water. Wipe dry with dry cloth. Knife will cut through ice cream to make slices. Replace in water as needed to reheat the blade. Pipe fresh whipped cream over individual slices.

7. To store: Keep frozen (loosely covered).

*or you can use regular, low carb ice cream

Serves 12.