Possum Cream Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust

Possum Pie has a luscious cream cheese filling smothered in a decadent layer of homemade chocolate pudding, hiding under a cloud of whipped cream. Disguised as a simple cream pie in a pecan crust, it’s playing “possum.” Possum Cream Pie got its start in Arkansas and is a southern favorite, so I am told. It’s definitely a new favorite of mine.

The first steps in making a fabulous Possum Cream Pie is making the homemade chocolate pudding. I grew up on instant pudding mix, but that’s NOT homemade in my book (but great in a pinch). My Chocolate Pudding Pie is heavenly; half & half, dutch cocoa, and a little bit of semisweet chocolate whisked in at the end of cooking. It’s worth the extra 10 to 15 minutes it takes to make it. And you can make it the day before, just leave the plastic wrap on surface until it is completely cooled.

While the pudding is cooling, this is a great time to make the pecan shortbread crust. It’s a combination of flour, melted butter, and pecans. Easy peasy. Mix the chopped pecans with the flour and stir in the melted butter to create a “dough” if you will.

Press the shortbread mixture into a 9-inch pie plate with a custard cup, or measuring cup, and bake for 7 minutes at 350 F.

Let cool completely before adding filling.

Next up is the cream cheese layer. Whip up the room temp cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Spread the cream cheese mixture into the pie crust.

Now you get to spread the cooled chocolate pudding over the cream cheese layer.

The final layer is whipping cream over the entire pie, piping on extra around the edge, and garnish with sprinkles or chocolate shavings.

Look at this incredible pie you made. Chocolate and sweetened cream cheese hiding underneath. Yum!

Instructions with recipe below are in order of what needs to cool (longest to shortest) in order to assemble the pie.

Possum Cream Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust

Recipe by Portlandia Pie LadyCourse: Uncategorized

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Hidden layers of luscious cream cheese filling, decadent homemade chocolate pudding, hiding under whipped cream in a pecan shortbread crust.

Ingredients

• Chocolate Pudding Layer

• 6 tablespoons Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• Dash of salt

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup half & half

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips

• Cream Cheese Layer

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (slightly softened)

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon half & half or heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pecan Shortbread Crust

• 1 stick (4 oz cube) salted butter, melted

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten free blend)

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup, finely chopped pecans

• Topping

• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Chocolate shavings or sprinkles if desired

Directions

• Chocolate Pudding Layer
• In a medium sauce pan, mix cocoa, sugar, cornstarch and salt, whisk well. Gradually add milk and half & half to the dry ingredients in the pan, using a whisk until smooth and well blended. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly.
• Bring mixture to a simmering boil and boil for 1 minute, remove from heat. 
• Add butter, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Whisk until chocolate and butter is melted, pour into a bowl. Place plastic wrap pressed onto surface to prevent skin and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Pecan Shortbread Crust
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
• Stir the flour, sugar, and finely chopped pecans.
• Mix in the melted butter to the flour mixture to form a dough. Press the dough evenly into 9-inch pie plate.
• Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes, or until the crust begins to turn a golden brown. Let the crust cool completely before adding filling.
• Cream Cheese Layer
• In a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, half & half, and vanilla until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
• Assembly & Topping
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fairly stiff peaks form. ( If you want the whipping cream stabilized, add in 1-1/2 tablespoons of dry vanilla instant pudding mix with the powdered sugar before adding.) Set aside.
• In the cooled Pecan Shortbread Crust, spread the cream cheese filling. 
• Next, spoon the cooled chocolate pudding over the cream cheese layer and spread to cover the entire pie.
• Use about 1 cup of the whipped cream and spread over the chocolate layer and pipe on the remaining whipped cream around the edge.  Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.