Graham cracker crust topped with homemade custard and sliced banana, it’s homemade happiness.

Banana Cream Pie

Michele Pesula Kuegler

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chilling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• Crust 1
• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• Crust 2
• Your favorite pie crust recipe* or store-bought dough
• Filling
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon butter softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• For assembling
• 3 bananas, sliced into rounds

Instructions

 

• Crust 1
• Combine crumbs and sugar in a large bowl.
• Add butter, and mix well.
• Press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes before filling.
• Crust 2
• Roll out dough and place into 9-inch pie pan.
• If there is more than 1/2 inch of excess over edge, trim crust.
• Bake according to directions.
• Remember to prick dough with a fork and/or use pie weights to keep crust from puffing up.
• Filling
• Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium pot.
• Gradually whisk in milk, and place over medium heat.
• Continue whisking until thickened and bubbly.
• Once bubbling, reduce heat and continue to whisk over heat for 2 minutes; remove from heat.
• In a small bowl, gently whisk yolks.
• Slowly add approximately one cup of milk mixture to yolks while stirring.
• Transfer yolk mixture to the pot, return to heat, and bring to a low boil while whisking.
• Continue whisking for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla, stirring until combined.
• Assembling
• Pour one third of custard into prepared pie crust.
• Top with half of sliced bananas.
• Spread another third of the custard over the banana slices.
• Top custard with remaining banana slices.
• Spread remaining third of custard on bananas.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Notes

*I have not mastered a pie crust recipe, as I don’t make many pies, so I cheat and use store-bought pie crusts currently.

Keyword banana cream pie

Although I am not a regular dessert eater, I do enjoy an occasional indulgence in the land of sweets.  That being said, pie is not one of my favorite desserts.  I’d far rather have cheesecake, a slice of non-chocolate cake, or ice cream.  However, when my husband and I took our mini-honeymoon to New Orleans we dined at Emeril’s.  We ended our multi-course meal with his famed banana cream pie.  That pie changed my opinion.

Since then, I’ve worked on creating my own banana cream pie.  Sure, I could find his recipe online, but what sort of culinary challenge would that be?  I’ve played with the crust, the filling, and the amount of bananas.  I believe I have found two tasty recipes that work.

The first recipe involves a graham cracker crust, vanilla custard, and 2-3 bananas.  What I love about this recipe is the crust.  There is something about the combination of butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar that I find to be divine; it adds almost a caramel-y flavor to the pie.  The drawback to this pie is that the crust can become soggy if there are leftovers after the initial serving.

The sogginess issue is what inspired the second recipe.  Made with a standard pie crust, vanilla custard, and 3 bananas, it has a longer life.  Although it loses the caramel hint, it allows you to make a whole pie that does not need to be eaten at once, which means dessert leftovers for that second round of cravings.

Whichever recipe you choose, you’re sure to be pleased.

Banana Cream Pie

2014-10-22 02:34:40

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Crust 1

1. 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2. 1/4 cup sugar
3. 4 Tb. unsalted butter, melted

Crust 2

1. Pie crust recipe* (or refrigerated dough)

Filling

1. 3/4 cup sugar
2. 1/4 cup cornstarch
3. 2-1/2 cups whole milk
4. 4 egg yolks
5. 1 Tb. unsalted butter
6. 1 tsp. vanilla

Assembling

1. 3 bananas, sliced

Crust 1

1. Combine crumbs and sugar in a large bowl. Add butter, and mix well. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before filling.

Crust 2

1. Roll out dough and place into 9-inch pie pan. If there is more than 1/2 inch of excess over edge, trim crust. Bake according to package directions. Remember to prick dough with a fork and/or use pie weights to keep crust from puffing up.

Filling

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium pot. Gradually whisk in milk, and place over medium heat. Continue whisking until thickened and bubbly. Once bubbling, reduce heat and continue to whisk over heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, gently whisk yolks. Slowly add approximately one cup of milk mixture to yolks while stirring. Transfer yolk mixture to the pot, return to heat, and bring to a low boil while whisking. Continue whisking for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla.

Assembling

1. Pour one third of custard into prepared pie crust. Top with half of sliced bananas. Spread another third of the custard over the banana slices. Top custard with remaining banana slices. Spread remaining third of custard on bananas. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Notes

1. *I have not mastered a pie crust recipe, as I don’t make many pies, so I cheat and use store-bought pie crusts currently.

By TT

Think Tasty https://www.thinktasty.com/