Grasshopper Pie

This mint-flavored, no-bake pie with a homemade chocolate crust is inspired by the grasshopper cocktail, a minty, sweet after-dinner drink. The name comes from the bright green color of its signature ingredient: crème de menthe.

The namesake drink was invented back in 1918 at a bar in New Orleans' French Quarter. It gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s in the South, then inspired the pie by the same name.

The cocktail is typically a combination of crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream. Here, the pie still gets its signature color and flavor from the crème de menthe, but the crème de cacao is swapped for a chocolate cookie crust and whipped cream is folded into the filling. In addition, cream cheese is added to give the pie a decadent richness with no baking required.

What Is Crème de Menthe?

Crème de menthe is a mint-flavored liqueur that's made by infusing mint leaves in a neutral alcohol, such as vodka. It's available at liquor stores, but you can also make your own at home if you're feeling up for a project.

If you purchased a bottle for this recipe and are now wondering what to do with the rest, there are lots of great cocktails that call for crème de menthe:

• Irish Flag Shooter
• Mexican Flag Shooter
• Emerald Isle

How To Crush the Cookies for the Crust

A box of chocolate wafer cookies can easily be ground or crushed into a powder for this homemade crust.

• Food processor: A few pulses of the food processor makes quick work of the job. The cookies quickly break down into a fine powder. You might need to stir it a few times to make sure all the cookies break up properly.
• By hand: The cookies can also be crushed by hand. Simply place the cookies in a zip-top plastic bag. Remove the air and seal. Using a rolling pin or glass bottle, crush the cookies until they have reached the desired consistency.

Tips for Making Grasshopper Pie

• When pressing the chocolate crust into the pie pan, it can help to use the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to help you press in the crumbs firmly and evenly.
• If you do not have crème de menthe, substitute mint extract. Because mint extract is very strong, start with 1 teaspoon, taste the mixture, and add more as desired. The filling should be just a tad too minty before folding in the whipped cream because the whipped cream will dilute the mint a bit. Because mint extract is not colored, you will need to add a few drops of green food coloring to get the same hue.
• For perfect whipped cream, start with cold cream and whip it 90 percent of the way with an electric mixer or stand mixer. Then, finish the whipped cream by hand with a balloon whisk. It's easier to judge the consistency of the whipped cream when whipping by hand, so this method saves you most of the hard work of hand whipping while providing a fail-safe against over-whipping.
• You can use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate curls. Or, if you prefer larger curls, melt about 1.5 ounces high quality chocolate with half a tablespoon of shortening in the microwave. Spread on the back of a baking sheet and freeze for about 5 minutes or until it's no longer shiny. Then use a bench scraper or metal spatula, holding it at 45 degrees and scraping the chocolate to create curls.

How to Whip Cream