Shhhh....

Do you hear that? It's the sound of Girl Scouts crying because I crushed all their cookies and put them in a better dessert.

Now, I know what you are thinking: Why would Ariel want to make little girls cry? And does dessert really get any better than Thin Mints? The answer to your questions? BECAUSE I CAN.

This pie isn't for little girls. Grown-ups only. This is a grown person pie. A pie for grown persons to eat. There are no persons in it, because that would be gross, but there are amazing, delicious, glossy things that make this pie into a little heaven on Earth.

I was never a Girl Scout so I can't attest to this, but I think they might put crack in their cookies. Don't quote me on this but in my mind there's simply no explanation for the addictive habit these cookies have upon you. Buying one box is never enough. Since I live in New York finding a local kid selling these black market goods is a little harder than back home. Lucky for me, I was able to track down a coworker who's cousin's daughter was dealing. Thank you Erika! I indulged in one box for myself, one for my roommate, and one purely for this pie. Well, almost purely. I may have snuck in a cookie or two before grinding them up. I couldn't help it! It's the crack!

Getting down to brass tacks this Thin Mint pie is in line with your traditional Chocolate Cream Pie except instead of your standard pie shell we've replaced the crust with a crunchy cookie bottom. Think graham cracker crust... only different. Filled with a creamy, rich chocolatey pudding and topped with fresh whipped cream. The whipped cream is also spiked with a lil' touch of mint simple syrup. I have a feeling it would be delicious spiked with a lil' clear creme de menthe but I didn't have any of that on hand. If you do, more power to you! The hardest part of this pie is letting it chill overnight. For reals. It takes patience. Patience Young Grasshopper. I promise it'll be worth it.

Thin Mint Pie

Crust

1 & 1/2 sleeves Girl Scout cookies
5 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put cookies into a food processor and grind until crumbly. Add in melted butter and pulse until crumbs are wet. Firmly push cookie crumbs into well greased pie pan to coat the bottom and form a crust. Bake in oven on 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Chocolate Pudding

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
4 ounces dark chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium sauce pan stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and cocoa powder until combined. Whisk in egg yolks. Turn stovetop on to low heat and slowly whisk in whole milk until smooth and uniform. Turn up heat to medium and warm slowly until mixture reaches a boil. Once bubbles form, reduce heat and simmer for two minutes until you see mixture thicken. Pour through a mesh sieve into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours or until slightly chilled.

Once filling is cooled pour pudding into your cooled pie crust, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. I know, I know; this takes willpower. But you're almost done!

Fresh Whipped Cream

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons mint simple syrup

Pour cream and simple syrup into chilled bowl. I've found that putting your bowl in the refrigerator or freezer for about ten minutes is best. Strongly whisk ingredients for a few minutes until cream holds it's shape. This is a workout that will make you feel less guilty about eating pie. Spoon whipped cream onto the top of the pie and spread with your tool of choice. i had a butter knife on hand and just made circular motions to get a "prettier" texture.

Finally, dig in and enjoy!

Huge thanks to Cheng Lin for his photography help! Check out his instagram @chenglinphoto!