Chocolate Pudding Pie with Peanut Butter Shortbread Crust

Everybody should have a pie plate in their life.  So they can make pies.

I love pies.  I especially love making pies in handmade pie plates.  It just gives the dessert a little extra specialness.  Because desserts are special.  And so are handmade pie plates.

My love's favorite dessert in the whole wide world is Chocolate Pudding Pie.  For his birthday this year, I decided to amp up his dessert-of-choice with an extra level of flavor experience.  That's where the peanut butter came into play.  Chocolate and Peanut Butter...best friends.  This pie is delicious and decadent tasting without being ridiculously unhealthy.  Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Pudding Pie with Peanut Butter Shortbread Crust

-Crust-

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1/2 cup salted chunky peanut butter (the natural stuff has better peanut flavor...just saying)
3/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

-Filling-

1 cup dark chocolate, chopped or in chip form
2.5 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (or more if you like more sweetness.)
pinch of salt
1tsp pure vanilla extract

Whipped cream, berries or cherries for serving (optional)

Let's do this!

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

2. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in vanilla, then the flour until the dough comes together.  Press into a GREASED pie plate (seriously, don't be like me and forget to grease the plate).  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool completely.

3.  In a sauce pan over the stove, carefully melt chocolate over low heat.  I say carefully because it might burn...that would be sad.  Whisk milk into the melted chocolate until combined.  Whisk in sugar and salt until dissolved.  Whisk in corn starch and continue to whisk while bringing the mixture to a gentle boil.  (just plan on whisking the whole time, it's good for you). Watch carefully as it begins to thicken and take off heat when it starts to look like pudding.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks together.  Take 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate mixture and gently beat it into the eggs (this will temper the eggs so that they will not cook as soon as they hit the pan).  Bring the pan back to low heat and slowly whisk the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Cook for another minute of two, until it reaches a thick pudding consistency.  Take the pan off the heat.  Stir in vanilla.

4. Pour the pudding into the cooled shortbread crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, until completely chilled and set.  Serve with whipped cream and/or fruit.  Cry with happiness.

Philosophy of Clay

I entered the world of pottery without any formal training in art or design.  Growing up, I was heavily influenced by the artistic nature of my mother, grandmother and aunts, and always encouraged to discover my own sense of art in the large craft studio my parents built over our garage.  As a young child and budding adolescent, I experimented with Sculpey Clay, creating figurines and jewelry to peddle  to neighbors and family friends.  It was not until I began to study at Mudflat, however, that I really understood the impact of form and function on pottery.

My first pottery teacher was Cary Atsalis, the lead studio tech and a teacher at Mudflat.  Cary's work is refined yet rustic.  He generally makes larger vessels with simple silhouettes, glazed with masculine, toasty tones.  He taught me the basics of throwing and always served as an early inspiration.  

My second teacher was Tracy Raymond.  Tracy is a very technical potter.  Her pieces are delicate, elegant and perfectly crafted.  She taught me to throw basic forms while also demoing more intricate tea-pots and lidded vessels.  I worked with Tracy for a year and learned a great deal from her methodical method and warm personality.  

In summer of 2011, I began working with Wayne Fuerst.  Wayne is originally from Wisconsin and currently resides in Southeast Massachusetts, where he teaches, throws and operates a gallery out of his home.  My very favorite mug in the whole world is one I bought from Wayne.  I mean, come'on, just look at it....

  

(Mug by Wayne Fuerst)

Wayne's pottery is funky, whimsical, perfectly functional and incredibly creative.  He has an endless imagination for altered forms and glaze decoration and proved to be a huge inspiration to me in my own  work.  Wayne encourages his students to experiment with the thrown form, altering it by cutting, stretching and bending the clay.  He is also very bold with his glazing; painting, spattering and layering colors throughout his pieces.  He nurtured by instincts to embrace pottery as a earthy, organic medium.

I see pottery as taking a literal piece of the earth and forming it into a functional, beautiful object to be used by living things.  The clay is the result of millions of years decay, erosion and elemental exposure. The clay body holds the history of it's place and time and the living things that once existed there.

We use this medium by forming it with out hands, body and mind.  Through the process of drying, bisque firing and glazing, the pot will hold memory of it's history.  Clay that has been over manipulated may warp, it's particles remembering it's previous shape.  Clay hold history that goes far beyond our time.  Pottery exists beyond the life of it's maker, serving as a physical example of expression and use to future generations of humans.

The tradition of pottery is deeply embedded in our human culture as a means of survival, innovation, societal development and artistic expression.  It is art that we can use everyday to make even the most mundane tasks a more pleasurable and art-ful experience.  Doing dishes is a lot more interesting with a sink full of handmade pots.  My goal is to make functional, inviting and earth-inspired art for everyday use.

I still have much to learn about this ancient art.  It don't always know what I'm doing.  My knowledge of pottery is still somewhat limited.  However, it is an expression that I have found great joy and gratitude in.

And that's all I got to say about that.

(Mug by RoseAnna Cyr)

Welcome! Come in. Have a seat.

Hello and welcome to Bears on the Loose! Pottery.  

Bears on the Loose! Pottery is created by myself, Ms. RoseAnna P. Cyr (that's my fancy name), currently of Madison WI.  

Bears on the Loose! Pottery began in the winter of 2010.  After graduating with my Masters degree, I was all finished with formal education but hoped to pursue artistic endeavors in my post graduate life.  Knowing my long standing interest in clay, my mama gave me my very first pottery class at Mudflat Studios in Somerville, MA.   I took to clay immediately and slowly began to develop myself as an artist through pottery.  I took classes and created out of Mudflat until spring of 2013.  

Today I work out of the Midwest Clay Project in Madison, WI, my new home.  I continue to create functional, earth inspired art made for everyday use by just about everyone.  All pottery featured on this blog is available for custom order and commissions are always welcome.  Please contact roseannacyr@gmail.com for any questions regarding pricing and ordering.