INDIVIDUAL MUD PIES

Individual Mud Pies image

Mud pies come in handy as a great use of leftovers or trimmings of chocolate cakes, cookies, or brownies. They are a great opportunity to get creative with your desserts, since there is really no "wrong" way to make them. The point is just to create a rich, gooey dessert with a crumbly crust. This particular version incorporates chocolate cake, chocolate mousse (which can also be served on its own or used to ice a cake or cupcakes), and fudge sauce. Additional toppings are limitless. Because they are such a messy dessert, I like to prepare and offer mud pies in individual martini glasses, wineglasses, or tumblers-it makes it much easier to serve and enjoy. You can, if you prefer, fill one 9-inch pie dish, using the same method, and slice it to serve. Cake trimmings can be collected and frozen for up to 2 months in advance, or you can bake 1/2 recipe Devil's Food Cake (page 98) in a 9-inch square baking pan, cut it into 1-inch cubes, and allow them to sit out and get slightly stale overnight.

Yield makes 6 individual desserts

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

4 cups chocolate cake trimmings (see headnote)
1/2 cup espresso or liqueur (such as Kahlúa, Framboise, Chambord, Grand Marnier, depending on your flavor preference)
2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (about 6 ounces) finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 cup (about 6 ounces) finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
Whipped cream, fresh berries, chocolate toffee pieces, toasted coconut, or anything else you can imagine

Steps:

Roughly chop the cake trimmings and put them in a mixing bowl with the espresso. Mash them together with a fork until the cake has completely crumbled and the liquid is evenly distributed. Set aside.
To make the chocolate mousse: Heat 3/4 cup heavy cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. While the cream is heating, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl for 1 minute, then add the hot cream in a slow stream, whisking vigorously until combined.
Pour the custard back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard registers 160˚F on a kitchen thermometer. (It is important to stir constantly and scrape the bottom and sides of the pan, because you don't want the eggs to cook through and solidify. If you do notice some solids, strain the custard when you remove it from the heat.)
Remove the custard from the heat and pour it into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.
Heat the chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted. Add a large spoonful of custard to the chocolate, mix it together, then pour the chocolate into the custard, stirring constantly as you pour.
Whip the remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until it forms firm peaks. Whisk a large spoonful of whipped cream into the chocolate custard to lighten the consistency, then gently but thoroughly fold in the remaining cream.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the mousse chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
To make the fudge sauce: Heat the chocolate, cream, corn syrup, and butter in a bowl over a double boiler. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the chocolate has melted entirely and the ingredients have combined. Remove the bowl from the heat, and let the fudge sauce sit at room temperature to cool.
Scoop a large spoonful of cake crumbs into each of 6 serving glasses (martini glasses, wineglasses, or small tumblers work well) and press the cake with your fingers to form a dense layer over the bottom of the glass. (Save about half the crumbs to make a second layer.)
Distribute the chocolate mousse evenly among the 6 glasses. Shake each glass slightly so that the mousse settles.
Add another spoonful of cake crumbs to cover the mousse.
Pour the fudge sauce in a thin layer (about 1/4 inch thick) to coat the crumbs, then put the glasses in the refrigerator until the dessert sets, about 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Once the dessert has set, top each with whipped cream and any other toppings you have chosen. Serve the desserts immediately or within 2 hours.
The espresso or liqueur adds another element of flavor to the dish, but for a noncaffeinated, nonalcoholic version, you can use simple syrup instead. To make the simple syrup, put 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir and continue to boil until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the syrup to room temperature before using.