Why it works: Coffee and chocolate are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,497 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells buttery, creamy. The science ↓
Mud Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Make the crust
Crush cookies.
Melt 1/4 pound butter and mix into crumbs.
Press into two 9 inch pie plates.
Fill and freeze
Pour ice cream into pie shells; freeze and cover.
Finish and serve
Take out 30 to 40 minutes before serving.
Pipe on whipped cream.
Melt the chocolate and pour and dribble chocolate over center section of frozen ice cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Ice Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Coffee | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Coffee + chocolatetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,497 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (buttery, creamy).
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cream + chocolatetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,466 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + chocolatetop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,543 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Coffee + creamtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,339 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Oreos
- Crushed into crumbs, they form the crunchy, sturdy base of the crust.
- Butter
- Melted into the crumbs, it binds them together and adds richness to the crust.
- Coffee ice cream
- Forms the creamy, cold filling that sets firm in the frozen pie shells.
- Semi sweet chocolate
- Melted and dribbled on top, it adds a bittersweet contrast to the sweet ice cream.
- Whipped cream
- Piped on top, it adds a light, airy, fatty topping that softens the richness.
The step that matters
Pouring the melted chocolate over frozen ice cream. Melted chocolate cools quickly on a very cold surface, so it sets in thin streaks rather than a smooth layer. Pour it while it is still fluid and work quickly, dribbling in small amounts so the coating stays even and does not clump.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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