Peppermint Chocolate Pie
So now that Christmas is done and you've (hopefully) taken down most of your decorations I’m sure you've got candy canes left over and are searching for the perfect sweet treat to use them with. This is a fantastic way to use those last few peppermint candies! This pie is light, fluffy and pepperminty. I used peppermint hot chocolate instead of water in order to give it a more complex flavor.
You can make this pie in either a graham cracker crust or a traditional pie crust. Just be aware if you choose the traditional pie crust you will need to blind bake it before you add the filling. I used Cool Whip as the topping for the pie. If you have more time while prepping you could try a homemade whipped cream in either a vanilla or peppermint. This will accent the lightness of the pie well.
For the Crust:30 Wafer Cookies or 1 Package of Chocolate Graham Crackers3 Tbsp Sugar6 Tbsp Melted ButterYou can also use a premade graham cracker crust. If you choose to go with a traditional pie crust you will need to blind bake it before you add the filling.To make the crust grind the cookies and sugar in a food processor, add the melted butter and pulse until moist. Press into a 9inch pie plate and bake for 18-22 minutes. Cool before filling.For the Filling:2 Cups Milk or Cream½ Cup Sugar¼ Cup Cornstarch½ tsp Salt4 Egg Yolks2 Tbsp Cooled Peppermint Hot Chocolate¼ tsp PeppermintExtract4oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chopped/Semi-Sweet Chocolate ChipsHeat the milk in a large saucepan until hot but not boiling. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl then add the egg yolk, cooled hot cocoa and peppermint. Whisk half of the hot milk into the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. This will take approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat once it thickens and stir in the chocolate.{The recipe calls for chopped chocolate. I never seem to have the baker’s bars on hand so I typically just use chocolate chips. I know some bakers’ say not to do this because of the differences in the amount of cocoa butter in the chocolate chips and the baker’s bars. I’ve never had any trouble substituting the chocolate chips though. If you happen to have a baker’s bar on hand I would suggest you use it. You will have a richer finished product. But don’t worry if you only have chocolate chips on hand, those will work great in this recipe!}Transfer the mixture into another bowl and let it cool, whisking it every so often to prevent a skin from forming.Pour into the pie crust and press plastic wrap onto the top and let it cool in the refrigerator. I found it was best to leave it overnight in the fridge. The original recipe calls for at least 4 hours. When you are ready to serve, top with Cool Whip and crushed peppermint candies.Because you put plastic wrap on the top you won’t have a very pretty top. However, the plastic wrap will keep a skin from forming on the pie. You probably want to cover the whole top so you can get a gorgeous dessert in addition to a yummy one.
Source:Adapted from: “Sweet: Our Best Cupcakes, Cookies, Candy, and More – Editors of Food Network Magazine