Arkansas Possum Pie

Yum. YUM. And double yum!

This is a new recipe I tried out on the crew last week and when the bowls came back, they looked as if they had been licked clean. The boys are well mannered so I doubt they did, but those bowls were pretty darn clean. I think that's a sign that they'd like for me to keep this pie in my menu rotation. "Darn! That's GOOD pie" also seals the deal.

 Confession: In all my years as a ranch wife, I have never made a chocolate pie. I am hanging my head in shame, but I still see those of you who are shaking your fingers at me. Put those fingers away. chocolate pie: aka: Arkansas Possum Pie, has now been added to my recipe collection.

                                                        

And yes, it was the name that first caught my attention and although this is a chocolate pie, this is no ordinary chocolate pie. Haven't a clue as to where the recipe originated, but from what I have been able to deduce, it is served in many establishments in Arkansas. I found it at here at

                                                                    House of Nash Eats

 I've seen recipes for Chocolate Lush and 4 layer desserts, but Amy's is different.

Yes, you will mess up a lot of bowls. Yes, you will question making the crust, and the pudding, and the whipped topping from scratch. Yes, you could use a prepared crust, a boxed pudding mix, and cool whip, but then you would miss out. The messy bowls and extra effort is worth it. Mess up those bowls. Cook that pudding. Whip the topping. I have to wash everything my hand because I don't have a dishwasher, but that won't stop me from making this pie again...and again...and again.

                                     

Crust
1 C flour
1/2 C butter
1/4 C brown sugar
3/4 C finely chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Layer
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream

Pudding Layer
1 C sugar
1/3 C cocoa
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp flour
Pinch of Salt
3 egg yolks
2 C whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Whipped Cream Topping
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp toffee bits
grated chocolate

Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in small bowl. Add flour, brown sugar, and pecans - mixing well with a fork. Press into deep dish pie plate. Bake for 20 minutes - just until crust begins to brown around the edges. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Layer:
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream in a medium sized bowl until smooth. Spread over bottom of cooled crust.

Chocolate Layer:
In a saucepan, add sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, flour and salt - whisk together. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and milk and whisk well. Add to mixture in saucepan - whisking to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until pudding begins to thicken and bubble. (About 7-10 minutes). I let it get pretty thick because I didn't want to risk a runny pie. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla, stirring just until the butter is melted and combined. Pour the chocolate pudding into a shallow dish and cover with plastic wrap - placing it on the surface of the pudding to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to cool down. When filling has cooled, remove plastic wrap and stir - spread over cream cheese layer. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to set.

Topping:
Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until whipped cream becomes thick and stiff peaks form. Spread over top of pie. Sprinkle with toffee bits, and chocolate shavings and dig in!   
  
                                               

The only changes I made to the original recipe was to change out toffee bits for pecans on top - it just sounded good. And for the shaved chocolate - all I had was chocolate chips so I just ran 5 or 6 over my microplane.

No possums were harmed in the making of this pie. 😉