Introduction: Cherry Oh Possum Pie

Spring is when the cherry possums bloom and are in abundance. Really, we got possums here in Brooklyn, NY. They were brought in to control the rat population and you know how tinkering with mother nature turns out. No need to go all the way to Arkansas to find them. Anyway, enjoy this special dessert although it is still a bit to go before Halloween.

Yeah, I think this is vegan.


Step 1: Forage Like Early Man...

Who has time to make stuff from scratch?  Gas up that Hummer of yours and get to the mega-mart to shop for your wholey-processed convenience foods.  Be prepared to pay more if you want it certified organic.  If you really want to do things right, you of course can make your pie dough from scratch and even make fresh pie fruit filling if desired. Just search for the instructables on those topics.

You will need:

Pre-made pie crusts
a can of Cherry pie filling
an egg to use as a glaze

optional for deocration:
a blueberry or something like a dingleber raisin.
shredded coconut
crushed nuts of any variety
grape jelly or food coloring if desired to play around with coloring the pie crust

You can use any kind of pie dish to form the creature and bake in the oven.

CAUTION: Know how to operate your kitchen appliances, be careful with using sharp implements, know how to work with gas, clean up after yourself. If you can't stand the fn heat, get out of the fn kitchen.





Step 2: Prep the Pan

Get all of your ingredients ready

Mis en place.  French for get your cra stuff together and ready to go.

You dough should be chilled from the refrigerator and defrosted if it was previously frozen.

I am using an aluminum pie tin.  It is just bent in that shape so I could fit my other pies on the same cookie sheet in the oven.
You just need one high side to help form the possum pie.

Take a stick of butter and rub it on the pan.  It will help keep the crust from sticking to the pan after it is baked.
I guess some people would do it with bacon grease. Oh well.


Step 3: Beastly Goings On...

Take one 9 inch pie crust.

Place one edge of the crust up against the side of the pie tin.

Fold it in half like a calzone to judge how much you need to fill with pie filling.

Fill with cherry pie filling.

Fold over and start crimping the edges around the top.  You may need to wet the edge with a bit of water so it will stick.

Start forming into a possum shape.

Make a pointy nose and drape the tail over the edge of the pie tin.

Take a piece of dough that will form the hindquarters and a leg.

Put a spoonful of filling on the dough piece and attach to the main body.

Repeat to form the front legs.

Step 4: Stick a Fork in It...

Add a blueberry for the eye or you can just poke a vent hole there.

Use a fork to give the body a hairy texture by scratching lines into it.  You can use shredded coconut or crushed nuts to add that hairy texture of the possum.

Use a fork to detail the mouth.  You can poke through in some areas to give it vent holes for the pie to give off excess steam.

I brushed it with some excess pie filling sauce and some grape jelly hoping it would give it some color.  There is a slight tint but real food coloring would have worked better to give it a more grayish fur look.

Beat an egg with a bit of water to thin it out.  Brush over the pie.

Bake in an oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the catch. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. The pie filling may ooze over and make a mess so use a cookie tray as a drip pan. It makes it easier to get the pie out of the oven too.

Decide how to slice it and fight over who gets the best part. Serve a la mode with some ice cream or additional whipped cream.

Enjoy!