The Bright-Green, Old-School Pie You Don't See People Eat Anymore

Mint and chocolate is a dessert flavor partnership that just works. Thin Mints are perennially the best-selling Girl Scout cookies; mint chocolate chip is one of the most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S.; and restaurants offer chocolate after-dinner mints as a sweet and refreshing palate-cleansing treat. But despite the combo's popularity, grasshopper pie — a bright-green dessert that's all about mint and chocolate — is one of those old-school pie flavors almost everyone has forgotten about.

Grasshopper pie derives from the vintage mint-chocolate cocktail that gave it its name. The pie features a chocolate cookie crust and a creamy and fluffy mint-flavored filling made with crème de menthe and chocolatey crème de cacao liqueurs. Unsurprisingly, there are no actual grasshoppers in it (although fried grasshoppers are a staple snack in Mexico). The dessert hit its height in the 1950s and '60s, when light and airy chiffon-style pies were in fashion. While its exact origins are hazy, "The American Century Cookbook" author, Jean Anderson, has said it may have come from a recipe booklet put out by Heublein Cordials and Knox gelatin.

The grasshopper cocktail that inspired the pie was created in 1918 by Philibert Guichet, whose family owned Tujague's Restaurant in New Orleans. He came up with it during a cocktail competition, combining crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream. Guichet finished second, and brought his new cocktail back to Tujague's, where it's still served today.

Chiffon pies are generally made by folding unflavored gelatin and egg whites beaten with sugar into a creamy base, and some grasshopper pie recipes include eggs and gelatin. However, many other versions simplify things by incorporating marshmallows or marshmallow Fluff instead. The marshmallows (or Fluff) are warmed over low heat in milk or half-and-half, and stirred until melted; then the pot is placed into a bowl of ice. Once it's cooled, crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and green food coloring are added, and the mixture is folded into heavy cream beaten to stiff peaks.

The crust is usually made from crushed Oreos (minus the cream) mixed with melted butter, pressed into a pie pan. Some recipes bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, while others put it in the freezer to chill. The filling is then added to the pan and the pie is frozen for at least two hours. It can be served sprinkled with chocolate cookie crumbs or chocolate curls and a dash of nutmeg, recreating classic grasshopper cocktail toppings.

Green crème de menthe helps create the right color and reduces how much food coloring is needed; and white crème de cacao (which is actually clear) should be used instead of brown to preserve the vibrant green shade. Grasshopper pie can also be made without alcohol by substituting peppermint and vanilla extracts for the liqueurs. Once your grasshopper pie is set, you can enjoy a refreshing taste of history.