Southern Possum Pie With A Pecan Crust
Possum pie is all about layers—crisp pecan crust, creamy cheesecake filling, silky chocolate pudding, and a blanket of whipped cream. It may look bakery-worthy, but it’s surprisingly simple to make.
Servings 8
Calories 448kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cup toasted pecans
- 1 cup flour
- ⅛ teaspoon sat
- 6 tablespoons butter cold
- 2 tablespoons ice water
Cream Cheese Layer
- 6 ounces cream cheese room temp
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Layer
- 2 ½ cups half-and-half
- 5 tablespoons sugar divided
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Crust
- Place toasted pecans in a food processor and process for about 30 seconds until they are ground into small pieces but not a powder. Remove 2 tablespoons for garnish.
- Add flour and salt and pulse, just to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until it is crumbly. Add ice water and process until it comes together in large clumps. Spray a 9 inch pie dish with cooking spray. Add the crust and press on the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Place parchment paper over the crust and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment paper and bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Layer
- Use a spoon to cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and salt. Spread evenly onto the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
Chocolate Layer
- Add half-and-half, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and salt to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Add a cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture a tablespoon at a time, whisk constantly. Once the eggs are warm, slowly add them to the saucepan and whisk in the chocolate. Continue to whisk until thickened, about 1 minute, a thermometer will register 180º. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla, whisking until incorporated.
- Remove to a glass bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until it is no longer hot. Pour over the cream cheese mixture and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Whipped Cream
- Beat the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Cover the top of the pie and sprinkle with reserved pecans.
Notes
- An alternative to baking the crust is to refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
- You can use semi-sweet chocolate for a sweeter chocolate layer.
