BLACK BOTTOM BANANA CREAM PIE

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

YIELDMakes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

•   For crust
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (about 7 ounces)
•   For chocolate ganache
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Vanilla Pastry Cream
• Vanilla Whipped Cream

PREPARATION

•   Make crust:
•   Butter 9-inch-diameter glass or ceramic pie dish. Stir butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Mix in cookie crumbs. Press onto bottom and up sides of prepared dish. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
•   Make chocolate ganache:
•   Heat cream and butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until mixture is hot (do not boil). Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons chocolate ganache in small bowl at room temperature; pour remainder over crust. Chill crust until chocolate ganache is firm, about 30 minutes.
•   Thinly slice 3 bananas. Arrange banana slices over chocolate. Whisk Vanilla Pastry Cream until smooth. Spread pastry cream evenly over bananas. Drizzle reserved chocolate ganache over pastry cream. Draw toothpick through pastry cream and chocolate to marbleize. Refrigerate until pastry cream is set, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
•   Spoon Vanilla Whipped Cream around edges of pie, or spoon whipped cream into pastry bag that's fitted with large star tip and pipe cream around edges of pie. Slice remaining banana. Garnish pie with banana slices.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

YIELDMakes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

PREPARATION

•   Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half. Transfer to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Pour into medium bowl. Stir in vanilla. Press plastic onto surface of pastry cream. Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Vanilla Whipped Cream

YIELDMakes 1 3/4 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION

•   Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until stiff peaks form. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)