Frango Mint Pie

If you’ve ever had a Frango mint chocolate from Marshall Field’s, this pie captures that same intensely rich, smooth, minty-dark-chocolate flavor in a chilled slice. Butter and powdered sugar beaten until fluffy, then blended with melted unsweetened chocolate and four eggs added one at a time, finished with peppermint and vanilla extracts.

The filling is essentially a French-style chocolate mousse enriched with a full cup of butter. It sets in the fridge to a dense, truffle-like consistency that’s fudgy and smooth, nothing like a pudding pie. Each slice is incredibly rich, which is why thin wedges are the right call.

Using unsweetened chocolate instead of semi-sweet keeps the filling from being cloying. The bitterness of the chocolate balances the two cups of powdered sugar and all that butter. You taste dark chocolate first, then the cool mint hits.

Pro Tips

• Beat the eggs in one at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition. This emulsifies the eggs into the butter-chocolate base and creates that smooth, mousse-like texture.
• Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before adding to the butter mixture. Hot chocolate melts the butter too fast and the filling can split.
• Butter the pie tin before pressing in the vanilla wafer crumbs so they stick to the sides and hold together when slicing.
• Chill for the full two hours minimum. The filling needs to set completely or it slumps when you cut into it.

Variations

• Top with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings for a more dramatic presentation.
• Use a chocolate cookie crust instead of vanilla wafer for an even more intensely chocolate experience.
• Add a few drops of green food coloring to the filling for the classic Frango mint green color.