I recently got my mitts on my Mom’s recipe file to pilfer for interesting recipes that match my seasonal food focus and for any family treasures. We are fortunate to have handwritten recipe cards back to my Great Grandmother which has proven to be a gift revealed to have access to favorites passed down via the dining tables (and cocktail glasses) of multiple generations. We’ve pieced together decades of food-related memories for our family and our friends who have taken part in various relatives, kitchen exploits.
You might expect when going through a mother’s recipe file that you’d find a favorite family apple pie recipe, maybe the old faithful lasagna well remembered from one’s youth, or a favorite holiday cookie recipe. Apples don’t fall far from the tree my friends so I suspect it would not shock you that in addition to the family culinary nostalgia I found a number of DIY liqueur recipes. Quelle surprise.
Homemade Crème de Menthe
Homemade Creme de Menthe is very easy to make and lasts indefinitely when stored in a cool dark place. Great for cocktails and in recipes like Grasshopper Pie.
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 8 cups sugar
- 1 pint 190 proof grain alcohol (I used Everclear brand)
- 3 tablespoons peppermint extract
- 1 tablespoon green food coloring
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water. Heat until the sugar dissolved (happens quickly; no need to boil it), stirring frequently to hasten the process. Allow to cool.
- Once cool add the grain alcohol, peppermint extract and green coloring.
Now that you have it, what can you do with it?
Grasshopper Cocktail
Essentially a chocolate mint cocktail!
- 1 part Crème de Menthe
- 1 part Crème de Cacao
- 1 part cream
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Shake and pour into a martini glass. (Tip: for the bright green color, use clear or light Crème de Cacao. The darker version will still be delicious but the color of the drink is more like drab spinach….not so appetizing).
A Grasshopper cocktail and shots of Crème de Menthe in edible candy cane shot ‘glasses’
Over vanilla ice cream
I actually combined 2 parts Crème de Menthe and 1 part cream as a cocktail which was great.I did not finish it so poured that into some coffee which was also fabulous.
Cooking with Michele says
Gotta try this! As a kid, I remember at the holidays my dad would bring additional things home to stock the liquor cabinet – that yellow galliano liquer was one, as was creme de menthe. Haven't thought about it in years!
sarah @ two tarts says
Candy cane shot glasses are so cute!
Jacky says
As kids we got this on ice cream as a special treat. I am sure that is not acceptable these days. LOVE the shot glasses, did you make them?
Angela says
Where did you find the incredibly adorable edible shot glasses? Must. Have.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Just saw this recipe on foodblogs and had to pop over. This would make a great Christmas gift for someone I know and looks so easy. Thanks for sharing! ~Carrie
Carolyn says
Man, what is it with you and Barb (Creative Culinary). You're both local to denver and you're both blowing my mind with all the homemade liqueur!
Cassie/Bake Your Day says
This is beautiful, I love creme de menthe. Great for foodie gifts!
Lizzy says
I must make this for my book club next Christmas!!! SO pretty and festive…and I adore grasshopper pie 🙂
Mac says
Nice one I didn't know you could make this it all sounds so simple as well. It should save me a fortune as well, I'm all so thinking of how to incorporate this in to some of my chocolate recipes.
Kiri W. says
Wow! I never thought to make creme de menthe myself, but it looks perfect! 🙂 Such a great holiday treat, too.
The Mom Chef says
I just found Christmas gifts to give! This looks fantastic. I need to get some Everclear, but I'll send Hubby out for that. once he sees what I want to do with it, he'll be willing to go. Thanks for delving into the heirloom recipes. Those are more meaningful because they've stood the test of time.
Cucina49 says
Wow, that color is vivid–this would be fun to make!
Sandra says
Very beautiful pie, and your photos are fantastic too! Thanks for sharing..have a wonderful Tuesday!!!
pattypan.2 says
Hi BL, Pattypan from over the water here. I have this recipe and have been threatening to make it for ages. Glad to hear its lovely as Creme de Menthe is one of my favourites. I haven't come across the Grasshopper pie before and I like the sound of it one to put on my to do list. Now you have made it what about making some home made Creme De Menthe Delight. Same recipe as Turkish Delight just replace the rose water with the Creme De Menthe liqueur or peppermint oil/flavouring and/or green food colouring if not using the Creme De Menthe.
Pretty tasty. If you want a recipe let me know
I also have a good recipe for Toffee Vodka.
Take care.
Pattypan
x
rosemarried says
Homemade gifts are the best, especially when they contain booze. 🙂 I'm putting together my yearly roundup of homemade Christmas gifts, and I will certainly include this!
Toni (the Boulder Locavore) says
Thanks all for your kind comments!
Jacky and Angela: I purchased the shot 'glasses' from the Peppercorn, a local kitchen shop (extraorindaire I will add) in Boulder. They do ship so you might check there. I also did a quick internet search and found some listings for them on Amazon.com, larger quantities and more expensive but they are there!
Pattypan!: So lovely to hear from you! Your blog stands out with the best ideas for mixtures such as this and I love the cocktail recipe, thank you! You prompted that I need to come back and look around. Absolutely do give this a go. So easy and fast (no infusion time). I am determined to wait a year for my Hedgerow Gin though I won't claim that is easy to do! Grasshopper Pie was very hip in the U.S. I'd say in the 1960's into the 1970's then it disappeared. If you saw the post with the recipe you'll know I revived it from my family recipe files for a vintage inspired party. Now my family is addicted to it! Made one for our Thanksgiving even (very untraditional).
Carolyn: It's in our water here! So says Coors…
CC says
Hoooo-eeeeeeee!!!!!!! When you say “photo shoot,” it just doesn't conjure up how fabulous the images are going to be!! My friend, you truly have a talent. Even knowing “what to expect,” you consistently blow me away. These photos are absolutely wonderful!! The red and green – Christmas evoked in such a subtle and beautiful way. I am running out of superlatives in my mind. And the accompanying text – spicy, intimate, educational all at the same time 🙂
Anonymous says
Loved your latest post (as usual). It brought back many memories — creme de menthe was always a good gift when money wasn't there! I may have to make this again!
Kitchen Riffs says
Thank you! What a great recipe. I don't often use Crème de Menthe, so it always kind of irks me to buy it – and I probably end up buying lesser quality stuff since I know it's just going to sit in the back of my liquor cabinet until the next time I want a make one of the few cocktails that require it. Your recipe looks easy and wonderful – what could be better? Thanks so much for this.
Elyse @The Cultural Dish says
oh yea… now we're talking! My kind of recipe! 🙂 Love the shot glasses too!
Linda Vich says
This is great! I'm thinking that I might make it and divide the batch so that I could color some for Creme de Menthe and leave some uncolored for recipes that want other peppermint flavored liqueurs such as Peppermint Schnapps, etc.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
Love this! I never thought about making it! It would make such a great gift! Oh, and I love those peppermint shot glasses!
Tina says
This would make for a wonderful gift. I have the store bought stuff, but if I had known it was that easy to make-I would not have bought it. Guess I will not be purchasing but making it from now on!
I love all things mint so it would not be hard to make use of it in my house. Great post!
thingsforboys says
oh, this is cool! I never thought to make this with grain spirit. I have some hiding in the cupboard AND I need to get some CdM…perfect!
Becky says
I had no idea that liqueur was that easy to make.
I see grasshopper pie in my future, Thank you for sharing your heirloom recipe. Your pictures are gorgeous as always.
Congrats on the Top 9.
Margaret Murphy Tripp says
When I was growing up, we always had CDM in the house, to use on ice cream parfaits. This brought back memories! What a great recipe!
Meagan @ Scarletta Bakes says
Love this, Toni! Especially those little edible candy cane shot glasses – talk about a party in a cup. Have a great day!!
Lizzy says
Congrats on the Top 9, Toni!!!!
Jay @ Local Me says
This is so exciting! I had no idea it was so easy.
RavieNomNoms says
WOW, that is amazing!!! Congrats on the Top 9, well deserved with this post. I love creme de menthe and it looks so easy to make!
BigFatBaker says
seriously, that's it?! I need to make some of this asap! What a great hostess or holiday gift 🙂 Congrats on top 9 and thank you for sharing a family recipe with us!
mjskit says
My mother-in-law turned me on to grasshoppers and I've loved them every since. I've never had a grasshopper pie, but it has to be fabulous. I love your creme de menthe recipe! Everyclear – it's been awhile since I've bought that. 🙂
Toni (the Boulder Locavore) says
Linda Vich: Brilliant idea about witholding some of the creme de menthe and leaving it uncolored. Would give a different flexibility for the color!
Becky, Lizzy, Meaghan, Erin, RavieNomNom: Thanks for the FoodBuzz congrats! Such a great surprise.
Lidian: I am big on experimenting on things like this however I think the mixture with vodka would taste differently. Everclear has no taste so you really get the true Creme de Menthe flavor. Having said that I think if you can find a fairly tasteless vodka it would be worth a try and who knows you may invent something totally different and fantastic! Do let me know if you give it a go would you? Great tip on the shot glasses too; thanks. Will keep my eye out!
mjskit: Me too on the 'when was the last time you thought of Everclear'! If you like the flavor of the Grasshopper cocktail you'll love the pie! It's not booze at all; more like a light ice cream pie. Addictive, completely!
Lidian says
Could you use vodka in place of the Everclear? I've used vodka as a base for other homemade liqueurs, so I'm thinking maybe you could.
I love those candy cane shot glasses – I've seen a lesser version in the dollar store (loonie store to us here in Canada)that were in different colors…
Florida Tenant says
WOW….. There is nothing better than chocolate, mint and alcohol together! I've made a shot like this using Rumplmints but yours sounds much better.
Chef Dennis says
you are quite the home distiller! I love the colour of your creme de Menthe, and I bet it is oh so tasty! thanks for sharing your mom's recipe with us!
All That I'm Eating says
*Dribbles* Send me one over! I have a fab recipe for this: melt a bar of dark chocolate and let it cool down slightly, mix in as much creme de menthe as you dare and about a tablespoon of demerara sugar. Don't let the sugar dissolve. Cover a tray with cling film and pour the chocolate onto the tray. Let it set and then break it into bite sized, crunchy (adult) mint chocolates!
sarah @ two tarts says
Hi Boulder Locavore – we made creme de menthe the other day (with a few small changes), and published our pics & recipe today. Thanks for the inspiration!
kita says
Oooh! I have a recipe coming up with creme de menth. I WISH I had made this first. I can't imagine how much you cherish those handwritten recipes handed down. I would love to have something like that. I am working to create a file for my family now. (PS, totally snagged me some of those little shot glasses too!).
Brianna D says
How long would you estimate this is good for once bottled and stored?
Toni Dash says
Alcohol does not go ‘bad’ as with a perishable food Brianna. I’ve confirmed that with some distillers as well. The flavor may become more subtle over a long period of time but should be fine indefinitely if stored in a cool, dark spot!
Laura @ Family Spice says
Easy peasy, huh? We love giving away boozy gifts. Can’t wait to try this one. And those peppermint shot glasses are so cute!
Marie says
I have been making this for holiday gifts and people love it! Thank you.