MINI SERIES - Twelve Recipes of Christmas - Recipe #11: Mississippi Mud
What an interesting sounding dish - Mississippi Mud. This recipe is from the paternal side of the family and when I saw this in our family cookbook I thought it was interesting that I remember my maternal great-grandmother has made this before, too. I suppose I didn't know that it was a popular or common dish. I was still curious how two completely separate lineages shared what I thought was a unique dish so I did what I love and researched the origins of this rich and sweet decadent dish.
According to a 2014 article from HoustonPress, "Cursory internet research will tell you that the recipe for Mississippi Mud Pie is believed to have originated post-World War II in the kitchens of domestic cooks eager to make sweets using new-fangled packaged ingredients, such as mass-produced miniature marshmallows." When I read that a smile spread across my face - because the time line for the recipes match the generation in my family where this recipe "originated" from. My paternal grandfather served in WWII and my maternal great-grandfather worked hard with the Conservation Corps. This energized my desire to make these brownies. But "Mississippi Mud"? Why the name? Well when you ask the interwebs, https://mississippiencyclopedia.org says that it is due to the appearance of the dessert - " this dense chocolate dessert looks like Mississippi River clay that the sun has parched, crusted, and cracked."
When I read the ingredients I was in awe with the amount of sugar and sweetness the dessert listed - but to top it all off was an additional super sweet sounding frosting to cover the cracked chocolate.
Sugar together the eggs and sugar (and butter - there was a misstep in the recipe!) and I love this step in any recipe - the soft pillowy and creamy texture that is generated from mixing these ingredients is just a moment of magic.
Next was adding the dry ingredients, gradually adding the flour and cocoa, mixing after each addition.
Once it is combined it was time to add in the vanilla and chopped walnuts. .
Can we take a moment to imagine the sweet aroma of the vanilla that wafts up and permeates the kitchen? Pure bliss
Now the mixture is complete so it was time to add to a 9x13 greased and floured pan. I believe I have mentioned this point before, but you can use cocoa instead of flour to "flour" your pan when making chocolate baked goods and it will keep you from getting a white flour residue against the rich chocolate of the brownies.
The recipe then says to "Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 MINUTES" - yes you read that correctly my dear reader - nearly an hour baking away. (No wonder the top looks "parched and cracked"!).
One out of the oven it is time for the marshmallow topping / layer. My family's recipe uses marshmallow cream, although after my research I imagine some other variations may use regular marshmallows and melt them before topping the brownies.
For the frosting - you guessed it - MORE SUGAR! 4 cups of it to be exact! This part starts with creaming the oleo and then gradually add the milk, cocoa, and sugar. Mix together well and once it has been all mixed you will spread that over the marshmallow cream and swirl it together.
TIP - I was following the recipe- that's what you do with recipes, right? Well - the "Gidget" version is to wait to add the marshmallow cream until after the frosting is made - by the time I went to add the frosting layer the marshmallow had already hardened so I was unable to make the "swirl" design.
The end result was still absolutely decadent and delicious, a deep rich chocolate with the uplifting sweetness from the marshmallow and cloyingly sweet frosting - is a perfect holiday treat paired with coffee or milk and good company.
NEXT EPISODE - MINI SERIES CONT.: Twelve Recipes of Christmas #12: Penuchi
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ORIGINAL RECIPE
MISSISSIPPI MUD
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) of oleo softened
4 eggs 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup of Hershey's cocoa 1 tsp of vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
Mix eggs and sugar together until fluffy. Gradually add flour and cocoa. Mix well after each addition. Add vanilla and chopped walnuts. Pour into a 9x13 greased and floured pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread 1 - 7 1/2 oz jar of marshmallow cream over the top.
FROSTING:
1/2 cup oleo (1 stick) softened
6 Tbs of milk 1/3 cup of Hershey's cocoa 4 cups powdered sugar
Cream the oleo. Gradually add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well. Spread over the marshmallow cream and swirl.
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SCRAPPY GIDGET'S VERSION OF MISSISSIPPI MUD
Ingredients for the Brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) of oleo softened
4 eggs 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup of Hershey's cocoa 1 tsp of vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts 1 - 7 1/2 oz oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff
For the Frosting:
1/2 cup oleo (1 stick) softened
6 Tbs of milk 1/3 cup of Hershey's cocoa 4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Cream together the softened oleo, eggs, and sugar together until fluffy.
2.) Once combined, gradually add flour and cocoa, mixing well after each addition.
3.) Add vanilla and walnuts, mix until well incorporated.
4.) Grease a 13x9 inch pan with oleo (Crisco) and "flour" with Hershey's cocoa powder.
5.) Pour batter mixture into prepared 13x9 inch pan and bake in 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes.
6.) About 15 minutes before brownies are done baking, mix frosting ingredients - start by creaming the oleo.
7.) Gradually add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well and set aside until the brownies are done baking.
8.) The brownies should be done once a toothpick comes out clean after inserting in the center of the pan. Remove from the oven.
9.) Spread the 7 1/2 oz jar of marshmallow cream over the top of the brownies.
10.) Spread the frosting over the marshmallow cream and swirl together.
11.) Serve with coffee or milk and enjoy.
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