Serves 8

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grind cookies in food processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to bowl, drizzle with butter, and toss well. Press crumbs evenly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate (see related Tip) and refrigerate crust until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

2. For the filling: Beat egg yolks in medium bowl. Combine gelatin, sugar, 1/2 cup cream, and salt in medium saucepan and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Cook over medium heat until gelatin dissolves and mixture is very hot but not boiling, about 2 minutes. Whisking vigorously, slowly add gelatin mixture to egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add crème de menthe and crème de cacao. Pour into clean bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until wobbly but not set, about 20 minutes.

3. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream with electric mixer to stiff peaks. Whisk 1 cup whipped cream into gelatin mixture until completely incorporated. Using rubber spatula, fold gelatin mixture into remaining whipped cream until no streaks of white remain. Scrape mixture into cooled pie shell, smooth top, and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. (The pie will keep tightly wrapped in refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Serve, topped with chocolate curls, if desired.

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• For a mint-flavored crust, prepare it with minty Oreo cookies (Mint ’n Creme). The cookies can be ground to uniform crumbs in seconds in a food processor or sealed in a zipper-lock bag and smashed with a rolling pin.
• Use two liqueurs to flavor the filling: crème de menthe and white crème de cacao. We found no substitute that contributed a similarly intense flavor.
• Make sure to fully hydrate the gelatin or tough bits may punctuate the otherwise silky smooth texture of the filling. Once dissolved in the cream, the gelatin should be heated until it’s very hot, but below a boil.
• Beat the cream to smooth-looking stiff peaks. A chunky or grainy texture is indicative of the cream being overbeaten. For the most stable whipped cream, start beating the cream slowly, and then increase the mixer’s speed once the cream is beginning to build in volume.
• Make sure the pie is fully set before serving; otherwise the filling may ooze once sliced. Six hours should be sufficient; overnight is better.

Madame Mousey