Mississippi Mud Pie

An all-time favourite with chocoholics- the “mud” refers to the gooey, rich chocolate

layer of the cake.

Ingredients:

225 g/8 oz/ 2 cups plain (all-purpose flour flour)

25 g/1 oz/1/4 cup cocoa power

150 g/5 ½ oz/2/3 cup vegan butter

25 g/1 oz/5 tsp castor superfine) sugar

About 2 tbsp cold water

Filling

175 g/6 oz/3/4 cup vegan butter

350 g/1/2 oz dark muscovado sugar

4 vegan eggs, lightly beaten

4 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved strained)

150 g/5 ½ oz dark vegan chocolate

300ml/1/2 pt single soy (light cream

1 tsp chocolate flavouring (extract)

TO DECORATE

425 ml/3/4 pint1 ¾ cups vegan double (heavy) cream, whipped

Thick vegan bar of chocolate

Method:

1.To make the pastry (pie dough), sieve (strain) the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar enough cold water to mix to a soft dough. Chill for 15 minutes.

2.Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use to line a deep 23 cm/9 inch loose-bottomed flan tin (pan) or ceramic flan dish. Line with foil or baking parchment and baking beans. Baking blind in a preheated oven, 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5, for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and foil or paper and cook for a further 10 minutes until crisp.

3. To make the filling, Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl and gradually beat in the eggs with the cocoa powder. Melt the chocolate and beat it into the mixture with the single (light) cream and the chocolate flavouring (extract).

4.Pour the mixture into the cooked pastry case and bake at 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 45 minutes or until the filling is set.

5.Leave to cool completely, then transfer the pie to a serving plate, if preferred. Covered with the whipped cream and leave to chill.

6.To make small chocolate curls, use a potato peeler to remove curls from the bar of chocolate.

Decorate the pie and leave to chill.