Mini Mud Pies {For Jennie}

         Mud Pie. I don't know who originally put coffee ice cream into a chocolate cookie crust, poured fudge over the top and called it Mud Pie, but whoever they are, they are brilliant. Coffee and chocolate are such a perfect pair. Hello, cafe mocha, tiramisu, mud pie! And really, a crust can't get any better than one made with crushed Oreos. 

These mini pies started out in my head as peanut butter pies. Wouldn't this be so delicious with peanut butter ice cream? I didn't have time to make homemade ice cream, so I changed my plans. If you pay attention to the food blogging community (and I have learned that it is an amazing community), you know that well respected and popular food blogger, Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie's Kitchen lost her husband two weeks ago to a heart attack. There were no warnings. Jennie is suddenly a single mom with two little girls, ages 3 and 8. Jennie asked readers to make a peanut butter pie (her husband's favorite) for their families in honor of her husband. Quickly food blogs were flooded with peanut butter pies for Jennie. Though these aren't peanut butter pies, the sentiment is the same. Share a pie with your family now, because you never know what will happen tomorrow. 

Bloggers have not only been making pies. They have been auctioning off delicious baked goods and donating the money to Jennie's fund. How wonderful and creative is that?! If you would like to help Jennie and her girls by making a donation, you can do so through Bloggers without Borders. 

Mini Mud Pies {or your favorite flavor ice cream pies!)

makes 8 cupcake sized pies 

printer-friendly recipe 

16 Oreos 

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 pint super premium ice cream (to be safe get 2, you'll eat the rest later)

1 jar fudge sauce

1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped 

raspberries for garnish, optional 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. 

In a food processor, process cookies until finely ground. Stir in butter until combined. Press cookie crumbs into muffin cups. Bake 15 minutes, until crust is set. Cool completely and remove from pan. 

Scoop ice cream into crust cups. An ice cream scoop makes this easy and makes a nicely shaped pie. If fudge sauce is too solid to pour, microwave with top off at 15 second intervals until softened. Don't over heat it or it will be too thin to coat the ice cream. Place pies in the freezer until ready to eat!