Mississippi Mud Pie

Pie crust
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water.

1. In a large bowl, using a pastry blender, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and cut in with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
2. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water, and continue to work dough with pastry blender until crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overwork.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; form into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (Or wrap in plastic, place in a resealable plastic bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.)

I didn't have a pastry blender so I used two butter knifes. It took me forever. I was also doubtful that the mixture would really roll into anything besides crumbs but it did. It's important not to over work. I also didn't bother past the first sentence of step three. I immediately used the crust in the following recipe.

Mississippi Mud Pie
All-purpose flour, for work surface
1 pie crust (above)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped plus 1/2 ounce shaved
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough out to a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Using kitchen shears, trim crust leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold edge under then crimp with your fingers. Prick bottom all over with a fork; refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until edges are just beginning to turn golden. Remove parchment and pie weights, and return shell to oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until golden all over. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350.
3. In a medium heatproof bowl, set over, not in, a pan of simmering water, melt 2 ounces of the chocolate. Brush bottom of cooled shell with chocolate and scatter pecans over.
4. Using the same bowl, set over simmering water, melt butter with remaining 6 ounces of chocolate.
5. Using an electric mixer on high, beat eggs, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt until thick and batter falls back in a ribbon when beaters are lifted from bowl, about 3 minutes. Gently fold butter-chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Pour into pie shell. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top forms a crust and filling is just set.
6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then refrigerate until well chilled.
   Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream with confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Top cooled pie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

The only change I made was I didn't have any pecans so I used walnuts. Also be sure to let the melted chocolate cool so that it does not cook the egg mixture (I've made this mistake a few times before with other recipes.) I also had a ton of extra filling so I put it ramekins and baked them along with the pie.

I got this recipe from Everyday Baking, which is a cooking show on PBS. Turns out the show is part of the Martha Stewart empire and the recipe along with the video can be found at marthastewart.com