Mile-High Mud Pie

This ice cream pie is the perfect choice for summer holiday get-togethers. The variations are endless as you can substitute your favorite flavors in place of mine. I chose chocolate flavors for my pie because I'm hooked on chocolate. Some people use coffee ice cream and toffee while others drizzle the pie with caramel. If you like berries or are going for a red, white and blue theme you could use cherry, vanilla, and blueberry ice cream to get that patriotic effect.

Any way you do it you'll need 3 half gallons of ice cream to make this party-sized pie so substitute whatever flavors you like best. I used vanilla, chocolate, and chocolate trinity ice cream from Publix's Premium ice cream line.

Ingredients

2 quarts (1/2 gallon) chocolate trinity ice cream (or triple chocolate, dark chocolate or chocoholic chocolate), softened

2 cups chopped pecans

2 quarts (1/2 gallon) chocolate ice cream, softened

2 1/2 cups dark chocolate semi-sweet morsel pieces, pulverized

50 dark chocolate Oreos

1 1/2 sticks salted butter, melted

2 quarts (1/2 gallon) vanilla ice cream, softened

2 1/2 cups chocolate shell ice cream sauce (Magic Shell)

whipped cream spray topping


Directions

  1. Line an 8-quart bowl with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang. Tip the chocolate fudge (or triple chocolate, dark chocolate or chocoholic chocolate) ice cream into the bowl and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top and freeze until the ice cream is firm, at least 1 hour.

  2. Tip the vanilla ice cream into the bowl over the pecans and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the toffee pieces on top and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

  3. Meanwhile, put the Oreos in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse to combine. Set aside. I take out the creamy center of the Oreos before processing and eat that to give me energy while making this pie.

Directions continued. . .

4. Once the vanilla ice cream is firm, tip the 2nd chocolate ice cream into the bowl over the dark chocolate morsel pieces and smooth the surface. Tip the cookie mixture on top of the chocolate ice cream; spread it evenly and press down firmly. Cover with the overhanging plastic and freeze until completely firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

5. Turn out the pie onto a cake stand or platter lined with 4 squares of parchment so that the paper hangs over the edges of the platter. Peel off the plastic wrap from the pie and pour the chocolate shell over the ice cream to cover completely. Slide out the sheets of parchment.

Keep frozen until ready to serve.

6. Top with the whipped cream before serving.