What I mean is, when you want to cook organic, it simply isn't fair when you get to make a luscious dish like a Grasshopper Pie and you don't have to suffer with some kind of lesser quality--it just isn't true.
I am frequently asked about what organically-prepared food tastes like, and I am always happy to say that, on the contrary, it tastes better than most of the food we get nowadays--like food used to taste when I was a kid back in the Fifties. Organic food is the best of both worlds, the ability of the food industry to move a huge variety of food all over the country, and the clean, delicious food that we should all be eating.
So if you are getting ready for a St. Patrick's Day weekend, here is the great, classic Grasshopper Pie, prepared with Creme de Menthe liqueur which will give it a lovely tint. And if you, like me, must avoid dairy products, you can step outside the organic envelope by using Dream Whip, a non-dairy whipped topping that you prepare yourself from a powder. I have discovered that it is not a good idea to try to do something like mixing liqueur into a prepared whipped topping; it deflates it. Still, you could do it if you don't mind the denser texture.
Dairy-free Dream Whip is made using soy milk as the liquid, and you can find both the whipped topping and the liqueur at a complete supermarket like Safeway at Broadway and Campbell, or the Fry's Supermarket down on 22nd near Palo Verde.
Remember that Creme de Menthe, like most liqueurs, is very sweet and will affect the sweetness balance of food that it is added to. Mint liqueurs are available in both green and clear, and this time it is the green one that you want. You could definitely serve the rest of the bottle with coffee after dinner, along with the pie.
CLASSIC GRASSHOPPER PIE
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped chocolate wafer cookies
1/2 cup melted organic butter
1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
3 cups mini marshmallows (organic is out there)
1/2 cup organic milk
1/4 cup Creme de Menthe
1-1/2 cups organic whipping cream
Organic chocolate shavings for garnish
Grind the chopped wafer cookies in a food processor. Transfer them to a mixing bowl and pour the melted butter over them. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over all and stir until you
have loose, moist crumbs.
Press the crumb crust into the bottom of a pie pan. You can press the crumbs partially up
the sides of the pan if you like. Pack the crust firmly.
In a saucepan, melt the marshmallows with the milk over low heat. Then chill the mixture,
stirring it occasionally, until it begins to set.
Once the marshmallow mix has cooled and set, stir in the Creme de Menthe and set the
mixture aside.
Using an electric mixer, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped
cream into the mint mixture and set it aside.
Pour the mint mixture on top of the cookie mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
You could also grind up a few more cookies and sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the pie if you get rushed or don't feel like grating chocolate. Or you could put a dollop of plain whipped cream on each slice and then drizzle a little Creme de Menthe over it...or Godiva Chocolate Liqueur...let your imagination take it from here.
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