Banana Cream Pie ... emphasis on the cream

Pies are quite seasonal; apple pies are best enjoyed in autumn, mince pies with Christmas, and banana cream pies in the summer. There's just something about banana cream pies that makes them so perfect for summer ♥. The fruit, the cream and its overall lushness. I’m always amazed at how fresh a banana cream pie taste; usually, pies are so sweet and warming, but this pie is light and cooling. My go-to food when lounging by the pool. Rating: 3.5 out of 5.




Banana Cream Pie: MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients:
- 1 Pate Brisee, use 1 disc and reserve remaining disc for another use (click here for recipe)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 3 ripe bananas, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
- Make the crust: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into a 14-inch round (¼ inch thick). Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim dough to extend above edges by 1 inch, fold under, and crimp. Prick bottom with a fork, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut a large round of parchment paper (about 11 inches), and place in pie shell, allowing excess to extend above edges. Fill with pie weights. Freeze until cold, about 10 minutes.
- Bake crust 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Remove pie weights and parchment, and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Make the filling: Combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add egg yolks, and whisk until smooth. Bring milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ cup milk to yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour mixture into pan with hot milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and is very thick, about 6 minutes.
- Pour milk mixture through a large-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add butter, and stir until melted. Fold in bananas. Pour into crust. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Make the topping: Beat together cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over filling. Using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, shape topping into peaks.


“A billowy whipped-cream topping conceals a velvety
banana custard in this dreamy pie.”

A Banana Cream Pie with emphasis on the cream, which took up
half of the pie. Not a bad thing, I assure you.