The Cook Next Door: Mud Pie--With a Secret Concoction

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Mud Pie

from Me!

1 package Oreo's

2 tablespoons butter

1 package graham crackers (one of the packages that comes in a box)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1/4-1/3 cup milk

1 gallon good quality ice cream (I use 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 dutch chocolate)

1 8-ounce container of cool whip (or fresh whipped cream)

1 recipe for chocolate sauce (you can buy chocolate topping also)

Chocolate Sauce

from Grandma Lybbert

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup butter, plus 2 tablespoons

3 cups sugar

Pinch of salt

1 can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Over low heat in double boiler, melt cocoa and butter together. Then add sugar and milk alternately, make sure sugar is dissolved. Add salt and vanilla.

Make the chocolate sauce and let cool in fridge for a few hours. Crush all Oreo's in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin or some other utensil that will crush the Oreo's. I like the pieces to be in bigger chunks for the most part. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add to the zip lock bag of Oreo's. Close bag and mix around with hands to combine the two. Pour all of the Oreo mixture, reserving 1/2 cup for later, in a 9x13 or bigger dish. The bigger and taller the better. I used a Tupperware container that was roughly 91/2"x131/2" and 3" tall. Drizzle about 1 cup of chocolate sauce over the Oreo crust. Take out the ice cream and let sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes to let soften. Cut ice cream to fit container. Lay the Vanilla first and then add the chocolate. Once the ice cream is done, put in freezer for a few hours to harden.

To make the peanut butter/graham cracker mixtures, add the peanut butter, crushed graham crackers (I crush them in their little package with my fingers), powdered sugar and milk to a bowl and mix with a spoon to combine all ingredients. You may have to had more milk. The consistency should be fairly thick (comparable to cookie dough). You want to be able to spread it fairly easy on top of the ice cream layers. Once the ice cream has hardened up some, spread the peanut butter mixture over it and add more chocolate sauce (1/2-1 cup). Stick back in freezer for another couple of hours.

Add the cool whip or fresh whipped cream to the pie and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup crumbled Oreo's on top. Finish off by drizzling more chocolate on top. Put in freezer until ready to serve.

Makes enough for 12 large servings.

{cooks note}

This is my little twist on mud pie. It really doesn't get any better than this. You will gain weight by just looking at it. I like to use really good ingredients, because for me, it's all or nothing. I would use Schwan's ice cream, but I got a really good deal on the Blue Bell, and here in the South, Blue Bell is where it's at for people. I used Homemade Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate. Can you say heaven? I had a mud pie once with the peanut butter/graham cracker mixture, but now I can't remember where. I just kind of made up the measurements and went from there. When I made this particular mud pie you see in the pictures, I was in a huge hurry because it was very last minute; therefore, it didn't have time to harden in the freezer like it normally would. The pictures definitely do not do it justice. You just have to trust me on this one. This is something that I can only make about twice a year, so I decided that I will just have to make due with these pictures for now because my waistline can't take another one of these at my house. If you take this to a party, you will be the hero. I promise. Oh, and I highly suggest using a container with a lid for storing in the freezer to prevent it from getting a layer of frost on the top.