I’ve been staring at this recipe for a few weeks. It’s from the Essential New York Times Cookbook, which is out now. The recipe was previously covered by Amanda Hesser at food52.com, which is where I discovered this boozey delight. You can go here to read the story behind this concoction. I remember 1975 – 8-tracks, Led Zeppelin 4, and really bad color palettes. And now, one variation of many booze pies. Truly great days.
The Crust!:
1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs
Booze Pie
1/4 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the crumbs with the melted butter. Form in a 9-inch pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
The filling!:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup Cognac (I used brandy)
1/4 cup Crème de Cacao
1 cup heavy cream
Pour 1/2 cup cold water in a saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Add 1/3 cup sugar, salt and egg yolks. Stir in to mix. Place over low heat and stir until the gelatin dissolves and mixture thickens slightly (it won’t be as thick as a custard). Do not boil! Remove from heat.
Stir the liqueurs into the mixture. Chill until the mixture starts to mound slightly.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add remaining sugar and beat until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the meringue into the chilled mixture.
Whip the cream, then fold into the mixture. Fill the crust. Chill for several hours.
pieofthebeholder 