Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie
Dang y'all. Now this is a pie.
I'd like to think in my 28 years of life I've devoted my time here on earth to doing something. And pie is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
I haven't mastered pie-making yet (I maintain a Jiro-Dreams-of-Sushi-like dedication to the craft), but this pie comes pretty dang close to perfection - and places easily in my Top 3 favorites of all pie-time.
That's saying a lot, because when asked my favorite type of pie, it's usually a tie between at least 8.
But let's talk about this beauty. This new, exciting pie-crush in my life. You start by blind-baking a crust, slathering a layer of chocolate ganache at the bottom - I topped mine with sea salt (duh), and then filling it up with a pecan-pie-syrup-like-mix with toasted oats. Ugh. It's like. I can't.
I don't know if the words even exist for me to string together in a way that would properly convey my feelings for this thing. Where the crap is Steinbeck when you need him?
But on with it! Because you must experience this one for yourselves!
The recipe is adapted a wee bit from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted a wee bit from Four and Twenty Blackbirds. I have my reasons - that main reason being fleur de sel should be in every dessert.
You Will Need:
For the Crust* -
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea or table salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup ice cold water + 1 Tbsp, if necessary
For the Filling -
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Pinch of Fleur de Sel
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp apple vinegar
4 large eggs
Directions:
Make Pie Dough -
I use a food processor for this because I don't have the patience to do it by hand. You do you.
In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter and pulse. While running, add water and pulse until combined. Wrap dough and chill for at least 1 hour.
Roll out dough in pie dish and freeze for 20 minutes.
Par-Bake Crust -
Heat oven to 400 degrees and line pie with parchment paper and weigh down with beans (or pie weights). Bake for 20 minutes and completely chill before filling.
Filling -
Reduce oven to 350 degrees and spread oats on baking sheet. Toast in oven 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Bring the heavy cream to just a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Pour in chocolate pieces and whisk until smooth. Scrape into pie shell and spread evenly. Top with a healthy pinch of Fleur de Sel or sea salt. Place in freezer while making the filling.
In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, ground ginger, salt, and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and vinegar and whisk. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Stir in cooled oats.
Place chocolate-coated pie shell on baking sheet and pour filling over top. Bake 55 to 70 minutes, rotating for even color. Pie is done when edgiest are set and puffed slightly and center is slightly firm to the touch.
Pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temp for 2 days.
It won't last that long though. Especially if you have ice cream in the hizzle.
*Now I must say, pie people are very particular about their crusts, myself included. I usually use Ina Garten's recipe for crust but decided to try this one out because it's one less ingredient I have to prep. Not bad. But again, do whatever you want. You can even buy the pre-fab crust if you're not the crust-making type.
Filling all up in that par-baked crust!
This pie is so gone I'm having to make another one today - and I'll probably brush a little egg wash on the crust just to give it a little oomph, but put one together ASAP. I also like to market it as a "breakfast" pie because: oatmeal. Close enough.
Have a happy weekend!
You Will Need:
For the Crust* -
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea or table salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup ice cold water + 1 Tbsp, if necessary
For the Filling -
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Pinch of Fleur de Sel
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp apple vinegar
4 large eggs
Directions:
Make Pie Dough -
I use a food processor for this because I don't have the patience to do it by hand. You do you.
In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter and pulse. While running, add water and pulse until combined. Wrap dough and chill for at least 1 hour.
Roll out dough in pie dish and freeze for 20 minutes.
Par-Bake Crust -
Heat oven to 400 degrees and line pie with parchment paper and weigh down with beans (or pie weights). Bake for 20 minutes and completely chill before filling.
Filling -
Reduce oven to 350 degrees and spread oats on baking sheet. Toast in oven 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Bring the heavy cream to just a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Pour in chocolate pieces and whisk until smooth. Scrape into pie shell and spread evenly. Top with a healthy pinch of Fleur de Sel or sea salt. Place in freezer while making the filling.
In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, ground ginger, salt, and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and vinegar and whisk. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Stir in cooled oats.
Place chocolate-coated pie shell on baking sheet and pour filling over top. Bake 55 to 70 minutes, rotating for even color. Pie is done when edgiest are set and puffed slightly and center is slightly firm to the touch.
Pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temp for 2 days.
It won't last that long though. Especially if you have ice cream in the hizzle.
Toasting the oats is crucial and that pie syrup. Mmm. You could probably throw some nuts in the mix too if you want that added crunch.
This pie is so gone I'm having to make another one today - and I'll probably brush a little egg wash on the crust just to give it a little oomph, but put one together ASAP. I also like to market it as a "breakfast" pie because: oatmeal. Close enough.
Have a happy weekend!
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