Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie (Poor Man's Black Bottom Pecan Pie)

By Mother_Daniel

Author Notes: This pie has slowly but surely become a sort of cult favorite in the pie shop. We loved
it from the start for its oatmeal–chocolate chip cookie quality; it’s like a pie version
of that classic recipe. In olden days, this pie (minus the chocolate) was dubbed “poor
man’s pecan pie” because oats are far less expensive than pecans. We up the ante
by adding a decadent layer of dark chocolate ganache on the bottom. - ElsenEM

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C. rolled oats
• 1/4 C. heavy cream
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (we use 70%), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3/4 C. packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 t. ground ginger
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 5 T. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 C. dark corn syrup
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 2 t. cider vinegar
• 4 large eggs

Details

Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 180mins
Adapted from food52.com

Preparation

Step 1

This recipe uses our All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch single-crust pie, partially pre-baked and cooled. (See Four and Twenty Blackbirds All Butter Pie Crust @ Mother Daniel)

For Crust:

Set rack in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the beans. Cool completely before filling.


For Pie:
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.

To make the ganache layer, bring the heavy cream just to a boil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour in the chocolate pieces. Swirl the cream around to distribute and cover the chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth. Scrape the ganache into the cooled pie shell and spread evenly over the bottom. Place the shell in the freezer to set the ganache while making the filling

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, ginger, salt, and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and cider vinegar and whisk to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir in the cooled oats.

Place the ganache-coated pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 55 minutes, rotating 180° when the edges start to set, 30 to 35 minutes through baking.

The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some give (like gelatin).

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.