CHOCOLATE MINT JULEP PIEfeatured

I realize that Christmas is technically “the most wonderful time of the year” and I don’t disagree. Christmas is legit. However, I feel almost equally excited in February. Why?  It’s officially Girl Scout Cookie season. Valentine’s day’s got nothing on Girl Scout cookie season. It’s a pretty magical time. I will go out of  my way to find a grocery store that has Girls Scouts camped outside selling boxes of $5 dollar happiness. Anyone else feel me on that?

So it seems only right to take advantage of this time of year and find a way to use a little of that magic. Enter the Chocolate Mint Julep Pie. Hollah. I’m a Samoa or a Thin Mint kind of gal, so I was pretty excited to use some Thin Mints to make a crust for this minty dream of a pie. Anyhoo. My recommendation? Stock up on these gems, throw them in your freezer and make this pie all year long.

Recipe: Chocolate Mint Julep Pie/Adopted from First Prize Pies  |  Soundtrack: Elle King

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

• 1 Box Thin Mints (or a standard grasshopper cookie will work)
• 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Pie:

• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Mint Simple Syrup (recipe below)
• 4 tsp bourbon vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Whip Cream Topping:

• 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 5-6 Tbsp Mint Simple Syrup

Simple Syrup:

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Cups Fresh Mint Leaves (no stems)

Make the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease a 9 inch pie plate.

Using a food process or blender, grind the thin mint cookies until there are no large chunks. Add the butter slowly as you pulse to combine.

Pour the crumbs into the prepared pie plate and start to press into the pan and up the sides. I like to use the back of a measuring cup to get it all even on the bottom. Once you have it pressed into the pan. Put it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Put prepared crust in the oven for 15 minutes to prebake it before the filling goes in. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.

Make the Simple Syrup:

In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water, stirring to help fully dissolve the sugar. Bring it to a boil and make sure all of the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and immediately add in the mint. Allow the mint to steep for at least 30 minutes. Let it go a bit longer if you want it stronger.

Make the Filling:

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar until they are fully combined. Whisk in the mint syrup, vanilla and salt.

Once combined, pour the filling into the cooled crust. Bake in 350° oven for 20-25 minutes or until the filling has just set. You can test this by gently testing it to see if the filling is still slightly wobbly. It will finish setting as it cools.

Make the Topping:

Using a stand or a hand mixer, pour in the whipped cream and add in the mint syrup until stiff peaks form. Pile the whipped cream high on the cooled pie. Decorate with fresh or candied mint leaves right before serving.

How to Candy Mint Leaves:

You’ll need 1 egg white, sugar, mint leaves and a wire rack.

Pour the sugar onto a shallow plate. Whisk the egg white till it’s frothy. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the leaves with egg white, then using a spoon cover the leaf in sugar. Tap off any excess. Let the leaves harden on a wire rack at room temp. until you are ready to use. At least 3 hours.

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