THE BEST PIE

I have previously posted about banana cream pie, but now I have without a doubt found the best recipe for it, hence the title, "The Best Pie."

I made this dessert tonight for an event I was catering and it was a huge hit!


The secret to this recipe, there is mashed banana baked right into the crust, giving it a complex banana flavour throughout! The custard is rich and thick, but balances out perfectly with a fluffy whipping cream top!


Tonight I went all out with the pie and made homemade peanut butter ice cream to top it all off!

Banana Cream Pie

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

- 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

- 1/3 cup sugar - can sub brown

- 1/4 cup mashed banana

- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/3 cup cornstarch

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 

- 1 1/2 cups whole milk

- 3 large egg yolks

- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 5 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.


Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and mashed banana in large bowl to blend. Add unsalted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Press onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Bake crust until set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in whipping cream and whole milk, then egg yolks. - Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add vanilla bean. - Whisk over medium-high heat until custard thickens and boils, about 6 minutes. - Remove from heat. Whisk in unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Discard vanilla bean. Transfer custard to large bowl; cool completely, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour.- Spread 1 cup custard over bottom of prepared crust. Top with half of sliced bananas, then 1 cup custard, covering bananas completely. Repeat layering with remaining bananas and remaining custard. Chill banana cream pie until filling is set and crust softens slightly, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Cut pie into wedges and serve.