Mile High Peppermint Pie Recipes

MILE HIGH PIE

Steps:

• Combine walnuts and biscuits. Add butter and mash thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch diameter springform pan and press biscuit crust into base and 2-inches up side. Cover this crust with waxed paper, cut to fit bottom exactly. Fill pan with split peas, up to height of sides and bake "blind" for 1 hour. Let cool while still filled.
• When crust is cooled, removed pea weights and paper. Meanwhile, whip egg whites with cold water and salt until peaked. Fold in sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and keep cool.
• Unmold ice cream from containers and cut horizontally through middle of each to yield 4 discs total. Place disks in pie crust, alternating strawberry and vanilla flavors. Top with meringue, letting it fall all around the ice cream. Set in freezer for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove pie from freezer and place in oven to brown meringue tips. You may also use a blowtorch instead. Serve with chocolate sauce.

MILE-HIGH LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and pulse just until coarse crumbs form. Add the vinegar and 3 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough comes together but is slightly crumbly. Pinch the dough - if it's too crumbly, pulse in more ice water 1 teaspoon at a time. Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough, then flatten into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself, then crimp the edges. Refrigerate the crust until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown on the bottom, 20 to 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while preparing the filling but leave the oven on.
• Make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan to combine. Whisk in the water and lemon juice and turn the heat to medium. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk about one-quarter of the sugar mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk in another one-quarter of the sugar mixture until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Continue cooking, whisking constantly to keep the egg yolks from scrambling, about 1 more minute. Stir in the butter and lemon zest until the butter melts; remove from the heat.
• Immediately make the meringue while the filling is still hot: Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Very slowly beat in the sugar; continue beating until firm glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes more (do not overbeat). Give the lemon filling a quick stir, then pour into the crust. Immediately spread the meringue on top of the hot filling, spreading it all the way to the crust; use the back of a spoon to make swoops and peaks. Bake until the meringue is golden brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes; do not overbake to avoid weeping.
• Remove the pie to a rack and let cool 1 hour, then refrigerate until completely cooled before slicing, about 4 hours.

PEPPERMINT PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chocolate wafers in a food processor; process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add butter, sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture has a wet sand consistency, about 5 (1-second) pulses. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crust is firm and appears dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Prepare the Filling: Beat cream cheese and marshmallow creme in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute, 30 seconds. Add peppermint extract; beat on low speed until fully incorporated, about 15 seconds. Set aside. Beat whipping cream, sugar, and food coloring in a separate large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute, 30 seconds. Gently fold whipped cream mixture into cream cheese mixture until just combined.
• Spread filling into prepared crust. Freeze until filling firms up, about 2 hours. Decorate with crushed peppermint candies. Serve.

FLUFFY PEPPERMINT PIE

Steps:

• Mix cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press evenly in bottom and up side of ungreased pie plate, 9x1 1/2 inches.
• Place marshmallows and milk in large microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on High about 3 minutes, stirring once, until marshmallows are melted. Refrigerate about 25 minutes or until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.
• Beat whipping cream, food color and peppermint extract in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Stir marshmallow mixture until blended; fold into whipped cream. Fold in crushed candies. Mound mixture into crust. Cover and freeze about 5 hours or until frozen. Cover and freeze any remaining pie.