Before school started Paul and I went to Walnut Creek to do a little shopping. Out of all the places to shop there, where do you think I was most excited to go? Williams Sonoma, and Crate & Barrel. I don't have those stores (or any really) in my town so I was so excited to find them and spend as much time as I could daydreaming in them.

After our long shopping filled day, what did I go home with? A cookbook and a baking mat. Not just any cookbook, have you. It's full of JUST pies! It's the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book. Full from cover to cover of beautiful pies, and amazing ideas. They even have it sectioned off into seasons, so you're making pies with fresh ingredients according to the season.

Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie / Sprinkled With Jules

After looking through it, I knew first up would be their Brown Bottom Oatmeal Pie. They describe it as basically an oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookie in pie form. Apparently their bakery has a cult following for this pie--big surprise there!

It's similar to a pecan pie, except instead of pecans it uses oats. Sometimes referred to as the "poor man's pecan pie" ( with the oats, not with chocolate). They kicked it up a notch and added a layer of ganache at the bottom.

This pie did not disappoint! The gooey oatmeal filling, slightly sweet, goes well with the bitter chocolate ganache at the bottom. The ganache is used from 60% chocolate, so it's a dark chocolate ganache. I'm not the biggest fan of dark chocolate, so next time I might try something a bit less strong, maybe semi-sweet chocolate. You could use whatever! The recipe calls for 70%, and you can find the bars in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

It's not too difficult to make either. Make the ganache, layer it in a pie shell, pop it in the freezer to set for a few minutes while you make the filling. Toast the oats, and mix everything together, then pour it on top of the ganache and in the oven it goes. Simple!

If you've ever made a more difficult pie like and apple pie, this will be a breeze. Or maybe that's just me. Put this on your pie bucket list! It's such a delicious, unique pie.

Below I have some step-by-step pictures to help with the process!

Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie Recipe:

Recipe from Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book

1 pie crust (mine makes a double crust, just freeze the extra half for later)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used 60%), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 tea. ground ginger

1/2 tea. salt

5 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 cup cark brown corn syrup

1 tea. vanilla

2 tea. apple cider vinegar

4 large eggs

Directions:

Spread oats evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. Stir the oats halfway through. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F.

Make ganache layer by bringing the heavy cream just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour in the chocolate pieces. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then whisk gently to smooth. Scrape the ganache into the pie shell and spread evenly over the bottom. Place pie shell in the freezer 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 toasted oats.

Place the ganache-coated pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment paper, and pour in the filling. Bake on the center rack for about 55 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, about 30 minutes through. The pie is done when the edges are set, but the center still jiggles slightly. Cool on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Pie will keep 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 days at room temperature.

I messed up my pie crust in the beginning by putting a crust protector on top of it, and it ended up squishing it. Not my best crust, but it's still delicious!

Do these step-by-step photos help? Let me know if you make it!