I can remember my days of being a Girl Scout.  I got so excited selling cookies!  Coming from a small town; I know some of my sales to people were probably doubled or tripled because they just couldn’t say no! 

I am the same way now.  I just can’t say no, to a sweet Girl Scout!

This recipe came from Sioux Falls, SD.  It was out in publication when I was a Girl Scout way back when?  It is really good and you can use up a whole box of thin mints too!

THIN MINT GRASSHOPPER PIE – the Girl Scout way

CRUST:

2 sleeves Girl Scout thin mints, crushed

1 stick of butter, melted

Mix crushed cookies and melted butter, press into a 9 inch pie pan.

FILLING:

1/2 cup milk

32 large marshmallows

1/4 cup cream de menthe (found by the chocolate syrup at the grocery store)

3 T. white cream de cacao

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

a few drops of green food coloring

Heat milk and the marshmallows in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly just until marshmallows are melted.  Refrigerate about 20 minutes; stirring occasionally until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.  Gradually stir in creame de menthe and creme de cacao.  Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl with mixer on high until stiff.  Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream.  Fold in food coloring.  Spread in crust.  Refrigerate about 4 hours or until set. 

Cheers,

Chef Kathy

PIE = The filling and baking of sweet and savory ingredients, enclosed by a casing of a mixture of fat, flour and water.  Doesn’t really sound all that appeling; but who doesn’t like a slice of Pie?  My favorite pie is banana cream of course made with the real whipping cream; however coming in a close second is apple!

From research that I have done, meat pies were among us before fruit and cream pies.  The Romans used to just eat the filling and leave the crust for the help.  Nice huh?  Fruit pies hit North America in the early 1800′s and they aren’t going away anytime soon!  I found a really interesting article about the complete history of the PIE.  Check it out!

I called my Grandma in Minnesota to ask her how to make a pie crust a few years back.  I think the key to any good pie is a good crust.  I don’t like a thick crust and it has to be flakey.  This is the recipe she gave me:  Just take some Crisco, a little salt, flour and some cold water and mix together with a fork.  What?  You don’t really have a recipe?  I guess she has been making pie crusts for so long, she desn’t need one   So I went to my good old stand by Betty Crocker cookbook and found this recipe!  It tastes just like Grandma’s!

Pastry for a one crust Pie (double this for a 2 crust pie)

1/3 cup plus 1 T. Crisco or if using lard you only need 1/3 cup

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 – 3 T. cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of course crumbs.  Sprinkle with cold water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans sides of bowl.  If you need to add more water, you can do so, just add it at this point 1 tsp. at a time.

Gather pastry into a ball.  Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface.

Roll pastry into circle 2 inches larger than upside down pie plate.  Fold pastry into 1/4ths place in pie plate.  Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.  Check out Kuisine by Kathy’s facebook page to see a video of how to properly roll out pastry dough!

Since Banana Cream is my favorite pie, I will share with you my favorite recipe!

For cream pies you want to use a sweet pat in the pan crust:  This is my Aunt Mary Gertsema’s recipe, thanks Aunt Mary!

Mix together and pat into a 9 inch pie plate:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 T. milk

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups flour

After pressing into pie plate, prick the bottom of the crust a couple of times and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Let cool completely before adding filling.

Banana Cream Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

3 egg yolks beaten

3 cups whole milk

1  1/2 T. butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 bananas

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy saucepan; stir well.  Combine egg yolks and milk; gradually stir into sugar mixture.  Cook over med