Possum Pie (Arkansas Layered Chocolate Cream Pie)

At almost any reunion, potluck or fish fry in Arkansas there is a plain white pie at the end of the dessert table that looks like nothing much. Whipped cream, a few chopped pecans, maybe a little grated chocolate. Visitors walk right past it. Locals do not, because they know what is under the cream. That is possum pie, and no possum has ever been near it.

The name comes from playing possum, pretending to be something you are not. From the top it is a plain cream pie. Cut it, and the slice shows four layers: a crust of pecans, butter and flour, a layer of sweetened cream cheese, a thick dark band of chocolate pudding, and the whipped cream that was hiding all of it. Only the crust sees the oven.

This is the recipe written out properly, with the two rules that matter. The crust has to be completely cold before anything goes on it, and the whipped cream has to go all the way to the edges so that not one line of chocolate shows. That is the point of the pie.

Why this possum pie works

• A pecan shortbread crust. Flour, soft butter and chopped pecans bake into a crisp, sandy base that stays firm under three soft layers.
• Cream cheese under the chocolate. The tangy white layer seals the crust so the pudding cannot soak it, and it cuts the sweetness above it.
• Cold milk, measured short. A large box of pudding whisked with 2 1/2 cups of milk sets thick enough to slice, which gives the clean layers.
• Cream to the edges. Spreading the top layer right to the rim hides the chocolate completely and makes the first slice the surprise it is meant to be.

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch deep-dish pie, 8 generous slices. US cups with grams in brackets. Count 45 minutes for the crust to cool and at least 4 hours of chilling.

For the pecan crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick, 113g), very soft
• 3/4 cup pecans (85g), finely chopped

For the cream cheese layer

• 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese (225g), softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
• 1 cup whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream, taken from the amount below

For the chocolate layer

• 1 large box instant chocolate pudding mix (5.9 ounces, 167g)
• 2 1/2 cups cold whole milk (600ml)

For the top

• 2 cups heavy cream (480ml), whipped to firm peaks with 1/4 cup powdered sugar (30g) and 1 teaspoon vanilla, or one 12-ounce tub whipped topping, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate (28g), grated

Two cups of cream whip up to about 4 cups. One cup goes into the cream cheese layer and the rest covers the pie. The milk must be cold or instant pudding will not thicken properly.

How to make possum pie

The crust

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Work the flour, soft butter and chopped pecans together with a fork, then with your fingertips, until no dry flour is left and the mixture holds when pressed.
2. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are light golden. Cool completely on a rack, about 45 minutes. A warm crust melts the cream cheese layer.

The layers

3. Beat the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar with a hand mixer until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream or whipped topping.
4. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cold crust, right to the sides so it seals the base. Refrigerate while you make the pudding.
5. Whisk the pudding mix with the 2 1/2 cups of cold milk for 2 full minutes. Let it stand for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick enough to hold a trail from the whisk.

6. Spoon the pudding over the cream cheese layer in dollops, then join them gently with the back of the spoon so the white layer is not disturbed. Level the top.

7. Cover the chocolate with the remaining whipped cream, all the way to the edges of the crust, so that no chocolate is visible anywhere. Swirl the top with the back of a spoon.
8. Scatter the chopped pecans and the grated chocolate over the cream. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight if you can, then slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry.

Tips that make the difference

• Chop the pecans finely for the crust. Large pieces make it crumble when you cut the pie.
• Soften the cream cheese for a full hour on the counter. Cold cream cheese leaves small lumps that no beating will remove.
• Wipe the knife between every slice so the layers stay clean.
• If the pie has to travel, carry it in a cooler and add the pecans and grated chocolate when you arrive.

Variations

• Cook-and-serve pudding. It gives a firmer chocolate layer that slices cleaner. Cool it with plastic wrap pressed right on the surface before it goes into the pie.
• For a crowd. Double every layer and build it in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Bake the crust 22 to 25 minutes and cut into 15 squares.
• Butterscotch. Swap the chocolate pudding for butterscotch, or use half a box of each in two thin layers.
• Walnut crust. Walnuts or toasted almonds work in the same quantity if pecans are hard to find.

Storage and make-ahead

Keep the pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. A pie carrier or an upturned bowl is better than plastic wrap, which pulls the top off.

It can be made a full day ahead and is better that way, because the layers firm up.

Freezing works if the top is whipped topping. Freeze the pie uncovered until solid, wrap it well, keep it for up to a month and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called possum pie?

Because the pie plays possum. It pretends to be a plain white cream pie, and the chocolate stays hidden under the whipped cream until the first slice is cut.

Why is my chocolate layer runny?

Either the milk was not cold, or the full 3 cups listed on the box went in. Use 2 1/2 cups of cold milk, whisk for 2 full minutes, let the pudding stand until thick, then give the pie its 4 hours.

Can I use real whipped cream instead of whipped topping?

Yes. Whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to firm peaks. Serve the pie within 2 days.

Can I use a store-bought crust?

A ready-made shortbread or graham crust will work, but the pecan crust is a large part of this pie.

Set it on the table without a word and let someone else cut the first slice. The look on their face when the chocolate appears is the reason this pie has kept its name.