Images

Grasshopper Pie

Once upon a time, there was a redhead caught between a red-eye from the West Coast, a fire drill at her big-girl job, and a P!nk concert. She was organizing an International Pi(e) Day party for her office the next day, but there was no rhubarb at the sad excuse for a grocery store down the street. No strawberry rhubarb pie, kids.

Sometimes, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. And in this case, the cookie crumbled quite nicely in her favor.

Last week I was eating dinner at Jackson 20, which is featuring Grasshopper Pie on its dessert menu right now. It brought back a wave of memories from childhood Christmases and St. Patrick’s Days.

While I’m pretty sure the version from my childhood included Cool Whip, this version from The Pioneer Woman tastes like it came right out of the 1980s.

Oreos, cream, marshmallows, booze, and about 20 minutes of prep work. Exactly what this busy redhead needed.

Happy St. Patty’s Day!

~Red

Grasshopper Pie

from The Pioneer Woman

Serves 12

18 Oreos, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 jar marshmallow creme or
24 marshmallows
2/3 cup Half & Half
2 tablespoons or more Crème De Menthe or other mint liqueur (green or clear)
2 tablespoons Crème De Cacao or other chocolate liqueur
Green food coloring, if desired
1 cup heavy cream

In a food processor, pulse 16 Oreos and butter until you have coarse crumbs, and press into the bottom and sides of a pie plate. Set in the freezer while preparing the filling. (Alternatively, you can use a pre-made Oreo crust.)

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt marshmallows and Half & Half, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s melted, place the mix over a bowl of ice water to chill, continuing to stir. When the mixture is cool, stir in liquers. Taste, and add more Crème de Menthe if you want a more intense flavoring. If you want a more intense green coloring, add a couple drops of green food coloring. Beat cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in marshmallow sauce.

Pour into the pan (depending on the size of your pan, you might have a little bit of filling left over). Crush the remaining 2 Oreos and sprinkle on top.

Freeze until very firm, at least 2 hours. Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.

Chicken and Dumplings

I discovered celery root for the first time a year or two ago. Scary-looking thing, isn’t it?

My first foray into celery root was a chicken soup with root vegetables, including celery root (or celeriac, as it’s sometimes called). I had walked past it so many times in the grocery store, without ever noticing it.

Big mistake. Once you peel it, it looks a lot like a potato, but it holds its shape when cooking. And it’s quite delicious — to me it’s like mixing celery, cauliflower, and butter into one.

Anyway, I had been jonesing for some kind of chicken stew or dumplings when the latest issue of Bon Appetit arrived. Last week, when the threat of the Snowquester — a supposedly massive snowstorm that preemptively shut down DC — this seemed like the perfect option.

But, my week was just too busy to get to a regular grocery store (Trader Joe’s doesn’t sell celery root) before the non-storm. Instead, I saved it for the weekend.

For the wine, choose something rich that can stand up to the chicken and vegetables. My personal preference is Chardonnay, aged in steel (rather than the traditional oak, which I don’t usually care for). But that’s just it — a personal preference. At the end of the day, when cooking with wine, choose one you like, and taste regularly while cooking.

Chicken and Dumplings

Adapted from Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart

Serves 6-8

Stew:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
8 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small celery root (about 12 ounces), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
1/2 cup water
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons (or more) Sherry or white vinegar

Dumplings:
3/4 cup flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Carefully drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot. Add carrots, celery root, onion, and leek; stir frequently until softened and beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes.

Add butter; stir until melted. Add flour and stir constantly until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add wine and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 5-8 minutes.

Add chicken, broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is fork-tender, about 35 minutes. Discard bay leaves and herb sprigs. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat.

Return shredded chicken to soup. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired. Return to a simmer.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup milk. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if too thick.)

Drop batter in 8 spoonfuls over simmering stew, keeping them spaced apart. Cover and simmer until dumplings are firm, about 20 minutes. Serve in bowls.

International Pi(e) Day: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We’re just days away from International Pi(e) Day, March 14.

Get it? Pi? 3.14?

Oh stop rolling your eyes at me. Focus, people. On Pi(e) Day, we eat Pie.

PIE.

My office is observing Pi(e) Day this Friday afternoon with a pie-themed happy hour. Presuming I can find rhubarb (which is in season starting in March), I’m planning to make one of my favorite pies, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from Beantown Baker.

I love rhubarb. It’s a weird little vegetable that looks like pink or red celery, but is (usually) used like fruit. It’s great in desserts, from pie and tarts to sorbet, but it also works well in savory dishes, such as chutney for pork.

The tartness of rhubarb are a fantastic complement to the sweetness of strawberries, which is why they’re often paired together. Tossing the fruit in sugar draws out the excess liquid, keeping the pie crust from getting soggy.

Lattice work is easier than it looks. Bon Appetit has a great primer here.

Looking for a non-fruit option for Pi(e) Day? French Silk Pie is like dark chocolate pudding, but in pie form. Delicious. :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

From Beantown Baker

2 cups diced fresh rhubarb stalks
3 cups diced fresh hulled strawberries
1 cup sugar, divided
Choice of double-layer pie crust
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom or orange peel, if desired
1/4 cup cornstarch
very small pinch of salt
1 beaten egg

In large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, and 1/2 c. sugar. Toss to combine well and set into colander over sink or bowl and let drain for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare pie plate. Roll out 1/2 recipe of dough and line bottom of pie plate.

In large clean bowl, combine strawberry and rhubarb that have been drained with remaining sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, pinch of salt and cornstarch. Toss to combine well and add to pie shell, smoothing out evenly.

Roll out remaining pie dough and lattice top the pie filling.

Brush lattice with beaten egg and place pie into oven. Let cook for 20 minutes, then place a piece of tinfoil loosely over the top. Continue cooking until filling is cooked through and bubbling, about 50 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.