Cooking for Zo

Difficulty: 1

If you love mint chocolate chip ice cream I suggest you Try Grasshopper pie.  It is a Southern pie that was very popular in the 50-60s.  It is a real tasty spring time treat! (No Grasshoppers were killed during the production of this pie.) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups heavy cream (chilled)

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup loosely packed mint leaves

3 tbsp green creme de menthe

1 1/4 oz package gelatin

5 large egg yolks

1 12 oz bar semisweet chocolate (chilled)

6 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

3/4 cup chocolate graham crackers (crushed)

3/4 cup Oreos (crushed)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp butter (for pie plate)

1 cup heavy cream (chilled overnight)

2-3 tbsp powdered sugar

In small mixing bowl beat the cream and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form (10-20 minutes,) cover and refrigerated until ready to use (1-2 hours is best.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly butter a 9 inch pie plate. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together coconut, crushed graham crackers and sugar. Slowly add melted butter while stirring until mixed well.  Add mixture to pie plate and form crust by evenly distributing the mixture over the bottom and sides of pie plate.  Place crust in oven and bake until just set (about 12 minutes.) Remove crust from oven and sit on a cooling rack allowing to cool completely.

In a small sauce pan bring 1 1/2 cups cream and mint just to a boil over medium high heat.  Remove from heat, cover and.  let steep for 15 minutes.  Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a small glass bowl, discarding the mint. 

Prepare an ice water bath in a large mixing bowl and in a separate medium bowl whisk together egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until combined well, site both aside.

In a medium mixing bowl (away from heat) pour in creme de menthe and sprinkle with gelatin, letting stand and soften for 5 minutes.   Pour your previously steeped cream into the gelatin mixture and whisk aggressively until evenly combined.

Heat a large sauce pan half full of water.  Once simmer, set bowl with cream mixture over pan and whisk constantly until the gelatin is dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch (about 1 minute.) After you have removed from heat continue to whisk constantly as you pour your previously egg mixture into the hot cream mixture in a slow steady stream.  Return this mixture over the pan of simmering water and cook constantly until the mixture is slightly thickened and registers 150 degrees on an candy thermometer (about 10 minutes.)

Transfer the bowl to the ice water bath and whisk until the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding (about 2 minutes.)  Remove the bowl from the bath and add whisk in about 1/3 of the reserved whipping cream from refrigerator until well combined.  Gently fold the remaining whipping cream with a rubber spatula.

Spoon pie filling into the cooled pie crust and refrigerate until set (45 minutes to and1 hour.) Just before serving dollop with whipping cream and sprinkle with coconut and chocolate graham cracker pieces.  Enjoy!