CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PIE: National Pie Day

Today is National Pie Day, and I have a great recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Pie with Peppermint Oreo Crust. This pie is perfect for Christmas Eve, Christmas, or just to have around the house while wrapping presents? It's so easy and Perfect for the Holidays!

The original recipe for this Chocolate Peppermint Pie is adapted from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, so naturally there's lots of butter, cream cheese, and whipping cream. I dressed this up even more by adding a Chocolate Peppermint Oreo Crust using Holiday Oreos. I love Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joes. This chocolate peppermint crust is great for lots of other holiday desserts, too.

Chocolate Peppermint Pie with Peppermint Oreo Pie Crust

Peppermint Oreo Pie Crust

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups of crushed Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joe's (oreo-like with peppermint filling), finely ground
2 1/2 ounces of melted unsalted butter
Directions
Combine cookie crumbs with melted butter in bowl.
Pour mixture into 9 inch pie pan and press into bottom and up sides evenly.
Smooth surface with the back of spoon.
Refrigerate pie crust for at least an hour.

Chocolate Peppermint Pie Filling 

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pasteurized egg product* (egg beaters or similar product to avoid the raw egg controversy)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup white chocolate chips or white chocolate bar**, chopped -- melted and cooled
1/2 cup (20) peppermint candies, crushed
1/2 cup dark chocolate (60-75% cacao) chopped - or 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
Extra crushed peppermints candies

Directions
In bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar together.
Combine egg product and whipping cream, and gradually add to butter mixture while beating, scraping bowl often. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reserve half of mixture in small bowl.
Add cooled white chocolate to remaining half of mixture; beat well. Stir in crushed candy. Spread in pie crust; chill 10 minutes.
Return reserved butter mixture to bowl, add cooled dark chocolate; beat well. Spread over white chocolate layer.
Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

*You can always substitute eggs  (6 large eggs, but it depends on the size of the eggs, you can always start cracking eggs and measure)

** Use only 'real' white chocolate and not artificial white chocolate disks.