Going Bananas for Banana Cream Pie
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: January 23, 2012

Banana cream pie is a homey dessert that can be served year round.  When the apples have gone, the oranges have withered, and the peaches fallen- you can always count on finding a bunch of inexpensive bananas at the grocery store.  This recipe makes every element from scratch (which in my opinion makes for the most delicious desserts).  If you are planning to make banana cream pie, there is some patience involved- it needs to cool and set for at least 8 hours.  This means you'll have to wake up early if you want to serve it the same day.  Banana cream pie is a sweet treat that will bring a smile to anyone's face.
 
Banana Cream Pie
 
Ingredients:
 
2 ripe bananas, sliced into ½ ” slices, put aside
 
Crust:
In a small bowl, mix together;
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

For the Custard:
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream (one for the custard and one for the topping)
Vanilla and sugar to taste




Preparation




This should be made at least a day before you plan to serve it, so the custard has time to firm up.


   
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees


 
For the Crust:In a small bowl, mix together, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl.  It should resemble wet sand. Press the graham cracker mixture into the pie pan on the bottom and on the sides.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove and cool


   
For the Custard: In a bowl, beat egg yolks.  Add sugar, cornstarch, salt and stir.  Add milk and blend well.  Transfer mixture a saucepan over medium heat and stir.  After a minute or so, add the butter.  Stir until the butter melts and the custard starts to bubble and thicken.  Cook for 5 minutes or so, being careful not to over cook (and curdle).  Remove the pan from the heat and add vanilla, mixing well.Transfer the custard to a bowl, covering with plastic wrap (to eliminate the chance of a thick skin forming) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


 
In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip together heavy cream, a few splashes of vanilla and a heaping Tbsp of sugar. Beat until it forms stiff peaks. Add the refrigerated custard to half of the whipped cream, beating until well combined.  Reserve the other half of the whipped cream in the refrigerator)


   
Take the pie pan with the graham cracker crumb crust.  Arrange all of the banana slices, evenly around the pie crust. Spread the custard filling evenly over pie.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or over night


   
To Decorate;


   
Wilton has the coolest decorative baking accouterments. You can buy decorative tips for frosting at your local craft store and pastry bags too. However, a Zip-loc baggie works just fine as well. Using a scissors, snip off a corner of your bag and insert your decorative tip of choice, securing a tight fit. Fill the bag with the reserved whipped cream.


   
Remove the pie from the refrigerator. Squeeze decorative dollops of the whipped cream around the pie. Refrigerate allowing the whipped cream to set.


   
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Preparation




This should be made at least a day before you plan to serve it, so the custard has time to firm up.


     
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees


 
For the Crust:In a small bowl, mix together, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl.  It should resemble wet sand. Press the graham cracker mixture into the pie pan on the bottom and on the sides.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove and cool


     
For the Custard: In a bowl, beat egg yolks.  Add sugar, cornstarch, salt and stir.  Add milk and blend well.  Transfer mixture a saucepan over medium heat and stir.  After a minute or so, add the butter.  Stir until the butter melts and the custard starts to bubble and thicken.  Cook for 5 minutes or so, being careful not to over cook (and curdle).  Remove the pan from the heat and add vanilla, mixing well.Transfer the custard to a bowl, covering with plastic wrap (to eliminate the chance of a thick skin forming) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


 
In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip together heavy cream, a few splashes of vanilla and a heaping Tbsp of sugar. Beat until it forms stiff peaks. Add the refrigerated custard to half of the whipped cream, beating until well combined.  Reserve the other half of the whipped cream in the refrigerator)


     
Take the pie pan with the graham cracker crumb crust.  Arrange all of the banana slices, evenly around the pie crust. Spread the custard filling evenly over pie.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or over night


     
To Decorate;


     
Wilton has the coolest decorative baking accouterments. You can buy decorative tips for frosting at your local craft store and pastry bags too. However, a Zip-loc baggie works just fine as well. Using a scissors, snip off a corner of your bag and insert your decorative tip of choice, securing a tight fit. Fill the bag with the reserved whipped cream.


     
Remove the pie from the refrigerator. Squeeze decorative dollops of the whipped cream around the pie. Refrigerate allowing the whipped cream to set.


     
Slice, serve and enjoy!