Crème de Menthe Pie (Mint Chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

Bake the crust

In a food processor or blender, pulse 22 Oreos (including the cream filling) into a fine crumb. You should have about 2 cups (packed) crumbs, or 250g. Pour crumbs into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and quite wet. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact, thick crust. See Oreo crust page for more success tips if needed. Bake for 10 minutes. Set the crust aside on a cooling rack to slightly cool while you continue.

Make the mint chocolate ganache

Place chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as it begins to simmer, immediately remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 2–3 minutes to soften the chocolate, then add in the peppermint extract. Stir gently until the ganache is smooth. Pour it into the baked Oreo crust and spread it across the bottom and slightly up the sides. If the crust has cooled, you can also gently tilt the pie dish to swirl the ganache around to coat the bottom and partially up the sides. Place the pie on a cooling rack in the refrigerator to cool. Black-bottom crust must be completely cool before filling.

Make the filling:

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4 minutes. Set aside. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, crème de menthe syrup, and peppermint extract and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.

Using a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined. This takes several turns of your spatula. Combine slowly, as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream. Finally, fold the chopped chocolate into the filling.

Spread the filling into the cooled crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. The longer it’s refrigerated, the better the pie will set up.

Feel free to garnish the pie with whipped cream and/or fresh mint leaves and chocolate curls. I used Ateco 826 Piping Tip for the whipped cream in the pictured pie. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.

Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 5 days.