This festive pie has a crystal-clear peppermint filling, flaky chocolate crust and fluffy peppermint meringue. It’s light and refreshing and just the thing to dazzle your guests at your next holiday function.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 9 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 9 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the foil
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 5 teaspoons coconut oil
- Three 1/4-ounce packages unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 10 soft peppermints (about 2 ounces), crushed, plus more for topping
- Chocolate curls, for topping
Instructions
- For the chocolate crust: Pulse the flour, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, oil and salt in a food processor until the texture of fine meal. Add the butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. If the dough doesn’t hold together, add up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse again.
- Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Freeze 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray.
- Pierce the bottom of the chilled dough all over with a fork. Line the dough with the foil, sprayed-side down, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is no longer glossy on the bottom, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
- Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the mixture is melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Paint a thin layer of chocolate all over the bottom and sides of the crust. Let set at room temperature until the chocolate is hardened, about 15 minutes.
- For the filling: Put 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and sprinkle over the gelatin. Let sit until the gelatin is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and heat over medium heat, whisking occasionally, just until the gelatin and sugar are dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the peppermint extract.
- Pour the gelatin mixture into a large bowl and stir in 2 cups cold water. Use a spoon to scoop away any bubbles at the surface. Refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes, until the gelatin just begins to thicken and is the consistency of thin fruit jelly, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Pour the gelatin mixture into the crust and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- For the meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer’s bowl above the water.
- Add the granulated sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the mixing bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved (about 150 degrees F).
- Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the peppermint extract and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
- To assemble: Arrange the crushed peppermints around the edge of the pie. Cut into slices and top each with meringue, chocolate curls and more crushed peppermint.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 374 |
| Total Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 41 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 15 mg |
| Sodium | 169 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 374 |
| Total Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 41 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 15 mg |
| Sodium | 169 mg |
Reviews
A very weird pie. My parents loved it. I am still on the fence. I made the crust and meringue differently from the recipe. I saw another comment suggesting chocolate meringue but I ruined it and it didn’t set right. BUT the flavour of the chocolate really muted the mint so it didn’t taste like toothpaste. The texture was the part I’m not sure if I can get over
Horrible. I unsaved it from my “try folder” in my favorites.
I substituted peppermint extract for lemon extract and peppermints for Andies mints and it is amazing! Big hit amongst all!
I read more negative comments than positive, but because it looked so cool I thought I’d impress my kids by trying it- even if no one ate it. I like peppermint and chocolate, so I worked up enough nerve to try it. It was not bad. My dad and one other Christmas guest also said it was “not bad.” Now let me add that I cheated and bought a pre-made chocolate pie crust, brushed it with the melted chocolate, added the gelatin filling, and put it in the fridge. No meringue, no chocolate curls, no crushed peppermints. That would be a lot of work for a pie that might not end well. Fun experiment.
Disgusting. Peppermint extract will never be good.
Sorry…cannot get past what it looks like….this is a fail. Blech.
I really wanted to like this pie. I imagined it like eating an After Eight mint, but in reality it was not good. The flavour of the pie itself was very subtle and not unpleasant, but the meringue tasted like toothpaste, which was very disconcerting. I liked the chocolate pie crust, but it wasn’t enough to save this odd odd pie. Do not recommend.