Arkansas Possum Pie

Directions

For the Shortbread Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.  Combine melted butter, flour, brown sugar, and pecans with a fork in an aluminum pie pan.
3.  Bake crust for 15–20 minutes, until edge of crust starts to brown.
4. Remove from oven and let cool. 

For the Cream Cheese layer:

5. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Blend until smooth.
6.  Spread mixture over the cooled pie crust.

For the Pudding Layer:

7. Mix sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a saucepan.
8.  Whisk egg yolks and milk in a separate bowl, add it to the saucepan, and mix well.
9.  Cook the mixture over a medium heat, whisking constantly for 7–10 minutes, or until pudding begins to thicken and boil.
10.  Remove mixture from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.
11.  Place pudding in a shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding, to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
12.  Remove plastic wrap when cool and spread the pudding over the cream cheese layer.
13.  Cover pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours.

For the Whipped Cream topping:

14. Beat heavy cream with vanilla and powdered sugar until a whipped cream forms and holds its shape.
15.  Spread the whipped cream over the top of the chocolate pudding layer.
16.  Sprinkle chopped pecans and shaved chocolate over the whipped cream.
17.  Slice and serve.