Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi Mud Pie is a special occasion dish my mother had been making since I was very young. It is my brother's absolute favorite dessert. It remains quite special and such a treat in the family because we don't have it very often. It is a bit of an expensive dish to make, as it contains four eggs, coconut, chopped nuts (although we often leave them out), marshmallow, chocolate icing, and lots of butter. Besides, if we had it often, it would lose its specialty. I am not sure where the name came from, I don't know if the dish originated in Mississippi or not, but it actually isn't really a pie at all. It is much more like a cake. In a 9x13 inch pan, a chocolate cake, adorned with shredded coconut and chopped nuts, is baked. Then, when still warm, it is spread with a jar of marshmallow fluff, which immediately melts on top of the hot cake. Then it is iced with a chocolate frosting, which also melts a little bit. The marshmallow and frosting layers are then swirled together to make an attractive looking top. A bonus of this dessert is that it is simple to make, just a basic cake batter and two toppings swirled together, and it is also fairly quick because you do not have to wait for the cake to cool. My mother and I quickly whipped up this cake together this morning. This cake is absolutely delicious, with the predominant flavor being chocolate, but with pleasant overtones of marshmallow and coconut. These flavors all pair together perfectly, so even if you aren't a fan of marshmallow or coconut in particular, you will enjoy them in this dessert. The cake is kept in the refrigerator, and is delicious cold, but just a few years ago we discovered a new trick. If you heat individual slices in the microwave for just 20-30 seconds, the marshmallow begins to melt, the icing turns into a lovely ganache, and the cake softens. It takes the entire dessert to a whole new level!