BANANA CREAM PIE

BANANA CREAM PIE

Makes one 9-inch pie

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pie crust, recipe follows
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 tsp for custard and 1 tsp for whip cream
• 4-6 bananas, depending on size, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• sliced almonds, for garnish if desired

PREPARATION:

Heat a large saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the milk and scald.

In a separate saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in the scalded milk.

Over medium heat, constantly stirring, cook the milk mixture until thickened.

In a small bowl, place the egg yolks and whisk together. Temper the yolks by stirring in a small amount of the hot milk mixture while whisking. When thoroughly combined, slowly stream in the yolks into the hot milk mixture. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly and the mixture has really thickened.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and blend in the butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Allow to sit at room temperature to slightly cool to lukewarm.

When ready, grab the baked and cooled pie shell and layer the sliced bananas and custard. Alternating between the two, making layers, until all the custard and bananas are used; leaving the last layer custard.

Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Allow to chill for several hours, minimum 1 hour, but longer would be better.

In the meantime, make the whipped cream topping. In a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, place the chilled heavy cream. Whip on low for a few seconds, and then raise to medium. When the cream has somewhat thickened, add the sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping until the cream has formed soft peaks. Be careful not to over whip it into butter.

Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag and decoratively pipe out the cream onto the chilled pie. Or you can simply spoon the cream over the top.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds if desired. Slice and serve. Save any leftover pie in the fridge.

SIMPLE PIE CRUST

For a single crust pie.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling dough
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons ice water, plus 2 more, if needed

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°

In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, the size of peas.

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overprocess.

Turn dough out onto a work surface; form dough into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Before baking, unwrap dough; place on a large floured surface. Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Place the pie dish upside down and trim the dough around the pie plate, leaving an extra inch of dough. Carefully, flip the dough and pie plate over. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate.

Fold overhang under itself. Pinch between thumb and forefinger to make a crimped edge around the rim.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over the formed crust. Weigh down with dry beans or pie weights. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and lift off the parchment paper.

Return and continue baking for an additional five minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before filling.