Hey Amy!

Banana cream pie makes me think of penny carnivals I attended as a child.  The carnivals would have great activities for kids that parents wouldn’t normally condone like smashing a beat up car, dunking adults in a dunk booth and the best of all, tossing cream pies in an adults face.  I loved these carnivals.  We would create spin art along with overeating sweet treats.

This recipe comes from my Farmer’s Market cookbook.  It comes from the brain trust behind the Country Bakery and is worth the extra minute you spend making the filling from scratch.  I break down the ingredients according to each piece of the pie–crust first, filling second and whipped cream last.

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
2 Tbsp. ice water
2 c. dried beans (not to eat silly, for the baking of the crust!)

3/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 c. cold heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar

2 bananas sliced

Preheat oven to 400.  Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Pour in ice water; work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky.  Squeeze a small amount together; if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tsp at a time.  Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  I usually make the dough the night before.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a large circle about 1/8 inch thick.  Place a 9-inch pie plate upside down on top and trim with a knife, leaving 2 inches extra dough all the way around.  Lay the dough circle in the pan and gently press the crust into place.  Fold the excess dough inside the rim and crimp the edges.

Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.  Lay a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the dough and fill it with 2 c. of dried beans.  The weight of the beans will keep the pastry dough flat so it doesn’t bubble while you prebake it.  Put the pan on a baking sheet so it will be easier to move in and out of the oven.

Bake the crust until it begins to brown, about 15 minutes.  Lift out the beans in the foil and return the crust to the oven.  Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.  Remove the crust and let cool.

In a bowl, combine half of the sugar with the cornstarch.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition until the mixture is lump free.  Stir in the vanilla.

Combine the milk and remaining sugar in a large pot and place over medium heat.  Stir constantly until the milk mixture begins to thicken, and reaches just below the simmering point, about 8 minutes.  While constantly whisking, slowly drizzle the hot milk into the egg mixture (do not add too quickly or the eggs will scramble).  Return the tempered eggs back into the pot and whisk constantly until the custard comes to a boil and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.  It should be much like the consistency of pudding.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until completely melted.  Let cool slightly.

Pour the custard filling into the cooled pie shell.  Push the banana slices below the surface to prevent them from browning, and then smoothe the top with a spatula.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.  Top with the whipped cream before serving.

Make this pie today for your Sunday brunch tomorrow!

xo–me

Ooops.  I forgot to tell you how to make the whipped cream.  Whisk together the heavy cream and vanilla in a bowl.  Sprinkle in the sugar and whip until the cream mounds on itself.  Making this helps your bicep muscle, I promise.  xo

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