Recipe: Grasshopper And Cricket Pie
Cricket flour adds protein and a nutty flavor to this classic pie
No, this is not an April Fools' joke-there are actual crickets and grasshoppers in this here pie.
There's been a lot of buzz about bugs as the next sustainable food source, so when we heard about people baking with cricket flour (yes, that is flour made from roasted and ground crickets), we had to see what it was about. We reached out to Charles Wilson, founder and CEO of Cricket Flours, a company making a variety of cricket flour products. While at first you may be skeptical, Wilson explained to us that the product itself provides an environmentally friendly, rich protein source that can be produced sustainably.
So today, the day that celebrates practical jokes, we thought it only fitting to develop a literal take on the classic grasshopper pie, a Southern dessert highlighting the flavors of chocolate and mint. It's called grasshopper pie, because of the bright green color from fluorescent crème de menthe. Our version updates this classic with cricket flour in the crust and boiled grasshoppers on top.
The cricket flour actually adds a depth of flavor you would never get from a basic graham cracker crust, and we enjoy the unique taste. However, if this is a little too intense for you, feel free to omit the cricket flour and grasshoppers for a more traditional bug-free treat.
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
- 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons cricket flour
- 24 (3 cups) large marshmallows
- 1? cups heavy whipping cream, divided
- 2 tablespoons crème de cacao liqueur
- 2 tablespoons green crème de menthe
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- 3 drops green food coloring
- Whipped cream, for garnish
- Boiled grasshoppers, for garnish (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, cocoa powder and cricket flour until incorporated. Press into a 9-inch pie dish, covering the bottom and sides. Bake until firm and set, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the marshmallows and ⅔ cup of the heavy cream over medium-low heat until melted, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crème de cacao, crème de menthe, mint extract and green food coloring. Transfer to a bowl, cover in plastic and let cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the marshmallow mixture and scrape into the cooled pie shell. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Garnish with whipped cream and boiled grasshoppers, then serve.