Practically everyone who knows me, knows that I am crazy about Martha Stewart. I am without a doubt her biggest fan. Not only do I have almost every one of her books, but I have also been reading Living Magazine since the very first month it hit the newsstands. Living Magazine made its debut in the early nineties. Back then, every month, I would pour through each issue, deciding which recipes I was going to make and when. I have made so many of Martha's recipes over and over again throughout the years that quite a few of them have become family favorites. One of them is her Banana Cream Pie.
For many years my son requested this pie for his birthday. I made it this past summer for his graduation dinner and most recently my stepdaughter requested it for her birthday dinner. As with most recipes, I have tweaked this one so it works better for me. I have deleted an unnecessary straining step that only added more time and more dirty dishes. I've also added a step by spreading a thin layer of semisweet chocolate on top of the crust before the first layer of bananas are added. Another difference is that Martha finishes off her pie by topping hers with a second layer of bananas; however, I cover the second layer of bananas with the whipped cream and top mine with chocolate curls. We usually have pie leftover so by topping the second layer with the whipped cream, the leftover pie can be kept in the fridge without the bananas turning brown. Last but not least (and I will deny this if anyone mentions it to Martha), I do not make my own piecrust. First of all, I really don’t enjoy making it and second of all, the frozen piecrust from Trader Joe’s is far superior to anything I have ever had, including my grandmother’s (of course I’ll deny this too). If you are not lucky enough to have a trader Joe’s in your area then opt for the Pillsbury piecrust in the refrigerator section of your grocery store. If you are one of those people who enjoy wielding a rolling pin then by all means, knock yourself out!
Banana Cream Pie
Frozen or refrigerated pie crust(unbaked)
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
4-5 medium ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
chocolate curls
Bake pie crust according to directions. Let cool to room temperature.
Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a simmer(do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Whisk a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them; whisk the egg/milk mixture into the remaining milk in the pan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in the center, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent skin from forming. Set in the ice bath until completely chilled, 30-35 minutes. (Filling can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap up to 1 day.)
Place chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 30 second increments, stirring every time until chips are melted and smooth. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of the cooled crust with the melted chocolate. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Cut bananas crosswise into 1/4 inch slices, slightly on the bias. Beginning at the outer edge of the piecrust, arrange half of the slices in slightly overlapping rows. Cover with the custard using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Top the custard with the remaining banana slices in overlapping rows.
Beat the cream and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream on top of the bananas. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving. Top with chocolate curls just before serving.
Frozen or refrigerated pie crust(unbaked)
4 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
4-5 medium ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
chocolate curls
Bake pie crust according to directions. Let cool to room temperature.
Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a simmer(do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Whisk a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them; whisk the egg/milk mixture into the remaining milk in the pan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in the center, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent skin from forming. Set in the ice bath until completely chilled, 30-35 minutes. (Filling can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap up to 1 day.)
Place chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 30 second increments, stirring every time until chips are melted and smooth. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of the cooled crust with the melted chocolate. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Cut bananas crosswise into 1/4 inch slices, slightly on the bias. Beginning at the outer edge of the piecrust, arrange half of the slices in slightly overlapping rows. Cover with the custard using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Top the custard with the remaining banana slices in overlapping rows.
Beat the cream and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream on top of the bananas. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving. Top with chocolate curls just before serving.
