The Walnut Room restaurant, Marshall Fields 7th Floor—the first tea room in a department store—just for lady shoppers, so they could stay and shop all day without having to rush home for lunch. I went with my Grandma every year the day after Thanksgiving but never got to lunch in the Walnut Room. When I was in college I dragged my Dad there for lunch. It was the first time we ever actually ate there. I had my first taste of that famous Chicken Pot Pie and my first slice of Frango Mint Ice Cream Pie.
The Walnut Room opened in 1907… I have no idea how far back the Frango Mint Pie goes, but the Frederick and Nelson Company in Seattle trademarked the name “Frango Mint” in 1918. That company was bought out by Marshall Field who started making their own, slightly different version in their flagship store in 1929 on the 13th floor (and did so until 1999 when they moved off-site). Get the ball rolling by ordering the famous green box of their chocolates that are now organic! The pictures I’ve seen of the pie today are missing the toffee topping… big mistake. The topping is magnificent. If you can’t get the mints, you could use milk chocolate with mint added… but the original is the best way to go and not terribly expensive. Instead of making the ice cream filling from scratch I believe that you could make the filling with a really good chocolate ice cream and just add the chopped up Frango mints.
Frango Mint Pie
Topping:
½ c butter
½ c sugar
2 T water
1/8 t salt
¼ cup sliced almonds
Heat the butter, sugar, salt and water to 300º. Add the almonds and stir. Pour out on a cookie sheet and cool. Break up and pulse in a food processor till it looks like course crumbs.
Crust:
1 ½ cups graham crackers crumbs (about 18 crackers)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
Filling:
1/3 cup of sugar (the original called for ½ a cup… your choice)
1½ teaspoons of cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 cup milk
8 Frango® Mint Chocolates (about 3 ounces) finely chopped
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie pan. Combine the cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in a food processor and process until well blended. Transfer to the prepared pie pan and press the mixture evenly and firmly to the bottom and side of the pan. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the crust is beginning to brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely in the pan.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add ¼ cup of the milk and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chocolates and the remaining milk and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg until lightly beaten. Gradually add about ¼ cup of the hot chocolate mixture to the egg, whisking constantly until blended. Whisk the chocolate and egg mixture into the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until slightly thickened. Do not let the mixture come near a boil or the eggs will scramble. Transfer the custard to a bowl and allow it to cool completely, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream and vanilla. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, until well chilled.
Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instruction, until frozen but soft and spreadable. Transfer the ice cream to the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight, until firm.
Sprinkle the top of the pie with the praline, pressing it in gently to adhere.
