Chef notes
This Grasshopper Pie is exactly what your St. Patrick’s Day has been asking for, as well as all of the mint-chocolate lovers in your life (and we hope there are many). Chocolate and mint is a legendary flavor combination that, in our humble opinion, is just so much better than the sum of its (delicious) parts. Traditionally a grasshopper pie has a minty chiffon filling made with egg whites and gelatin, but here we’ve simplified matters considerably (you’re welcome) and created a cream cheese-based filling with peppermint extract, sugar and heavy cream. It is a wonderfully creamy and refreshing take on the original recipe. The best part? It takes about 3 minutes to make (no joke). We fold chopped dark chocolate into the filling to deliver mint-chocolate chip ice cream vibes. And who would say no to more chocolate?
The minty-chip filling is poured into a no-bake chocolate cookie crumb crust — if you can find them, the mint-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos work wonders here The food processor is the easiest way to grind up the cookies, but you can also place them in a zippered plastic bag, cover the sealed bag in a dish towel and crush them with a rolling pin. The crust isn’t baked, which saves even more time.
And who doesn’t love a no-bake dessert, especially when your oven might be filled with other St. Patrick’s Day specials, such as corned beef and cabbage and Irish beef stew? But if baking the crust is your jam, by all means do so — in a 350 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. If you want to get a head start on this cutie, you can make the crust a few days ahead of time and keep it tightly wrapped in the freezer until you need it.
Technique Tip: Make sure you grind or crush the sandwich cookies finely so they stick together, almost like wet sand, when you add the melted butter. This will make forming the crust a breeze and will also contribute to a sturdy crust.
Do not use whipped or light cream cheese to make the filling, as it will preclude your filling from setting up in the refrigerator. And make sure your cream cheese is room temperature when you begin to mix it, otherwise the filling will be lumpy. Finally, do not over-mix the cream cheese or it will lose structure.
Swap Option: If you cannot find mint-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, use regular chocolate sandwich cookies, but add ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract along with the melted butter.
Ingredients
- 23 mint-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, finely ground (about 2 cups), plus about 1 more cookie for garnish
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 2-4 drops green food coloring
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Preparation
Make the crust
In a large mixing bowl, combine the finely ground cookies, melted butter and salt with a flexible spatula or your hands. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pie plate and press it onto the bottom and up the sides of the plate, using a 1-cup measuring cup or your fingers. Place in the freezer while you assemble the filling.
Make the filling
1.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until incorporated. Pour in the heavy cream and beat until thick, smooth and light, about 2 minutes, increasing the speed about halfway through. Add the salt, peppermint extract and food coloring and mix just until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a flexible spatula. Take the pie crust out of the freezer and transfer the filling into the chilled crust.
2.Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.
Make the topping
Just before serving, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar together on medium high with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Dollop the cream in the center of the pie decoratively and spread just a bit with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle a crushed chocolate sandwich cookie on top of the cream.
