New Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie Plays Dress Up with Dessert Sauces

Desserts today are meant to dazzle the eye as well as the palate. Start with an undressed, pre-sliced Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie, with rich coffee or vanilla ice cream that sits on top of a chewy fudge brownie base separated by a creamy layer of fudge, and these two great chefs will show you the rest!

Condra Easley, co-owner and pastry chef of Patisserie Angelica in Santa Rosa, Ca.	Robert Sturm, Corporate Executive Chef for Custom Foods.

Chocolate Butter Ganache Heaven
by Condra Easley

Ingredients:
1 slice Vanilla Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie
2 cups Milk
2 1/2 cups heavy Cream
2 1/2 lbs Chocolate high quality, chopped
10 oz. softened Unsalted Butter
Heat milk to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir. Heat cream to a boil and pour over mixture. Add softened butter and whisk the mixture together to emulsify. Should the liquid not be hot enough to melt down the chocolate, place over a bain-marie to melt remaining chunks. This is best made the day before and refrigerated. To use: heat slowly in the microwave or over a bain-marie.
To glaze:
Place the frozen Vanilla Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie slice on a glazing rack. Pour liquefied chocolate butter ganache over each slice, completely covering. Using an offset spatula, move each slice to a parchment covered sheet pan. Decorate with chocolate curls and freeze until ready to serve. It is important that the glaze is not hot, otherwise it will compromise the frozen ice cream.

Oven Roasted Banana Baked Alaska
by Condra Easley

Ingredients
1 slice Vanilla Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie
3 Bananas, ripe
2 TB Butter, melted and unsalted
1/4-1/3 cup Vanilla Sugar or regular Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bananas in half, and place cut side up on a non stick baking surface or silicone baking mat. Brush each banana with melted butter and sprinkle generously with vanilla sugar. Roast in the oven until caramelized approximately 15 - 20 minutes. Bananas should maintain their shape but be cooked. Allow to cool.

Italian Meringue
12 oz. Sugar
3 1/2 oz. Water
7 oz. ( 7 large) Egg Whites
2 oz. Sugar

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and carefully mix together. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. By covering the sugar mixture, the condensation created will wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan, eliminating the need of washing down the sides with a brush dipped in cold water. At 235 degrees, start your egg whites on high in the mixing bowl with a whisk attachment. With a digital or sugar thermometer, bring the syrup up to 240 degrees. Add 2 oz. super fine sugar to the whipped whites. Turn the mixer down and slowly pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl, avoiding the whisk. Whip until cool. Use immediately.

Assembly
Cover the top of the ice cream cake wedge with the cooled oven-roasted bananas. Pipe on the Italian meringue with a decorative tip. (I used a leaf tip, slit facing up.) Make sure that the entire surface is covered. Brown the Italian meringue with a propane torch, moving the torch around so as not to burn the meringue. Brown evenly. Using an offset spatula, place the finished dessert on a parchment lined sheet and return to the freezer until ready to serve.

Dessert Sauces
by Robert Sturm

Make the following sauces and set aside

Crème Anglaise
Yield: 1 quart
1 qt. Cream
1 cup Sugar
2 each Vanilla Bean Pod
8 each Egg Yolks
Directions: Slice bean pod open. Scrape inside. Reserve paste and pod. Combine all ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove pods. Then, temper yolks with 2 oz. Cream. Slowly stir yolks into cream. Simmer till thick. Strain. Let cool. Chill. Reserve.

Melba Sauce
Yield: 2 cups
2 cups Raspberry Preserves
4 oz. Grand Marnier Liquor
Directions: Combine both ingredients. Stir until smooth. Strain. Chill. Reserve.

Mango Chutney
Yield: 2 cups
1/2 cup Mango, 1/4" diced
1/2 cup Pineapple, 1/4" diced
1/2 cup Apple, granny smith, 1/4" diced
1/2 cup Papaya, 1/4" diced
1/2 cup Red Jalapeno Jelly, mild
1 each Lime Juice, fresh squeezed

Chocolate Bee’s Wax
Yield: 6 - 8 decorations
1 lb. Bittersweet Valrhona Chocolate, chopped fine
12 x 20 bubble wrap
Directions: Melt chocolate. Temper till "cool" and easily spread. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Cover with bubble wrap, pillows up. Spread chocolate on wrap. Cover with plastic wrap. Smooth chocolate over bubble wrap with rolling pin. Place in refrigerator. Chill one hour. To use, pull plastic and bubble wrap away from chocolate.
Use white or milk chocolate, or combinations. Larger pillow bubble wrap works
well, also.

Caramel Peanut Butter Sauce
Yield: 3 cups
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Water
1 cup Cream
1 cup Peanut Butter, extra chunky
Directions: Dissolve sugar in water. Bring to a boil. Stir in tartar. Wash side of pot occasionally with brush and water to "clean" sugar crystals from buildup inside of pot. Continue to heat sugar to 312 degrees or desired caramel stage. Then, add cream. Stir till smooth. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Stir in peanut butter till smooth. Let cool. Reserve.

Chocolate Sauce
Yield: 2 cups
8 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate,
chopped fine
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted, soft
2 oz. Cream
Directions: Melt chocolate. Stir in butter. Reserve. Heat cream until hot, but do not boil. Stir cream into chocolate til smooth. Let cool. Chill. Reserve.

Custard Mix
Yield: 2 cups
2 cups Cream
4 each Eggs
1/2 oz. Vanilla extract, pure
1 t Nutmeg
Directions: Combine all ingredients together. Chill. Reserve.

Pulled Sugar Decorations
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Water
1/2 t Cream of Tartar
4 drops Food color
Directions: Dissolve sugar in water. Bring to a boil. Stir in tartar. Wash side of pot occasionally with brush and water to "clean" sugar crystals from buildup from inside of pot. Continue to heat sugar to 265 degrees. Add food color. Continue to heat sugar to 305 degrees. Immediately plunge bottom of pot in ice water for 10 seconds. Pour sugar onto silpat mat. Knead and pull sugar as desired.
Sugar decorations can be made ahead of time by storing finished pieces in an airtight container with silica gel. Be sure to use a wire rack in container to separate silica gel from sugar, so as not to contaminate it.

Caramel Sugar Decorations
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Water
Directions: Dissolve sugar in water. Bring to a boil. Stir in tartar. Wash side of pot occasionally with brush and water to "clean" sugar crystals from buildup from inside of pot. Continue to heat sugar to 312 degrees ro desired caramel stage. Immediately plunge bottom of pot in ice water for 10 seconds.
Decorations are made by drizzling caramel sugar onto parchment paper in a decorative fashion. Let cool. Reserve. Spun sugar is made by drizzling sugar with a fork over a wooden spoon handle. Collect sugar over parchment paper.

Chocolate Mango Symphony
by Robert Sturm

1 slice Vanilla Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie
2 oz. Crème Anglaise
1 oz. Honey
as needed Melba Sauce
1 TB Mango Chutney
2 pieces Chocolate Bee’s Wax
1 each Pulled Sugar
1 each Mint leaves

Directions:
Step 1: Place crème anglaise in center of plate to form a "pool". Decorate with honey and melba sauce.
Step 2: Place Vanilla Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie in center of plate. Garnish with chutney, chocolate and pulled sugar. Garnish with mint leaves.

Banana Spider Split
by Robert Sturm

1 slice Coffee Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie
2 cups Sugar Frosted Flakes, pulverized
2 each Banana, slices
2 cups Custard
Oil for frying
2 oz. Caramel Peanut Butter Sauce
1 oz. Chocolate Sauce
1 oz. Crème Anglaise
1 each Sugar Decoration
Directions: Peel and cut bananas into 1/2" slices. Roll in frosted flakes. Dip into custard. Roll in flakes a second time. Freeze. Fry in HOT oil until crisp. Reserve. Next, place peanut butter sauce in center of plate to form a "pool". Decorate plate with crème anglaise sauce. Place Coffee Häagen-Dazs Mudslide Pie in center of plate. Top with fried bananas. Garnish with sugar decoration.