Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PIE II

Category: Pies - Cream and Custard

Crust:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tsp vinegar
5-6 tbsp ice water

Chocolate Peppermint Pie:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pasteurized egg product*
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (about 20) peppermint candies, crushed
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 9-inch baked pie crust (press-in or fancy), cooled

Pie Crust: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut butter cubes into flour mixture until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle vinegar over flour mixture, tossing with a fork. Sprinkle 5 to 6 tbsp cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, over flour mixture, tossing with a fork each time until dough is moistened and crumbly. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Gently fold the crust into quarters, center over 9-inch pie plate and unfold. Ease the crust into the plate. Trim pastry, leaving a 1-inch overhang beyond plate edge. Fold crust edge under and crimp or flute the edge using a fork or your fingers. Prick pastry with a fork. Line bottom and up sides of crust with foil and add dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove foil. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack; cool completely.

Filling: In a bowl, beat Butter, Cream Cheese and sugar together. Combine egg product and Whipping Cream, gradually add to Butter mixture while beating, scraping bowl often. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reserve half of mixture in a small bowl. Add cooled white chocolate to remaining half of mixture; beat well. Stir in crushed candy. Spread in baked pie crust; chill 10 minutes.

Return reserved Butter mixture to bowl, add cooled semi-sweet chocolate; beat well. Spread over white chocolate layer. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. *Note: The reason the recipe calls for this product is that the filling is not cooked.