Banana Cream Pie

nibbleboard.com/recipes/banana-cream-pie

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Whisk together the 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks in a medium heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine, then pour in the milk and whisk again until no clumps remain. Place over medium-high heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture just begins to simmer.
3. Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg bowl while whisking vigorously. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan while whisking constantly.
4. Cook over medium heat, whisking gently and constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens enough that the whisk leaves a visible trail when dragged through it.
5. Remove from heat. Add the cold cubed butter and vanilla extract, whisking until the butter is fully melted and the custard is smooth. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool for 15 minutes.
6. Roll the pie crust out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan without stretching. Press into the pan, trim excess leaving a 1-inch overhang, and fold edges under. Crimp decoratively. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are golden.
8. Whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Remove the parchment and weights, brush the crust all over with egg wash. Tent edges with foil if browning too fast. Bake another 10 to 12 minutes until the bottom is golden and dry.
9. Let the baked crust cool completely on a wire rack.
10. Spread 1 cup of the cooled custard into the bottom of the cooled pie shell in an even layer.
11. Peel and slice 2 bananas into ½-inch thick coins. Arrange them over the custard in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Spoon the remaining custard over the bananas and smooth the top with a spatula.
12. Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface. Refrigerate until fully set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
13. Beat the heavy whipping cream, confectioners' sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a stand mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
14. Dollop or pipe the whipped cream generously over the chilled pie. Slice the remaining 1 to 2 bananas and arrange on top as garnish. Serve immediately or chill up to 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition per Serving

Chef Tips

• I've found that tempering the eggs slowly is the single most important step — rush it and you'll get scrambled egg bits in your custard. Drizzle slowly while whisking like your life depends on it.
• Use bananas that are just ripe with a few brown spots. Too green and they're starchy, too ripe and they'll turn to mush in the pie within hours.
• After trying both ways, I always press plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface. That skin that forms otherwise is impossible to whisk smooth again.
• No pie weights? Dried beans or uncooked rice work perfectly. I've used the same bag of dried beans for blind baking about thirty times.
• For a shortcut version, use a 3.4-oz box of instant vanilla pudding mixed with 1 cup cold water and a can of sweetened condensed milk instead of making the custard from scratch. It won't be quite as silky, but it's genuinely delicious and ready in ten minutes.

Storage

Cover with plastic wrap or an airtight dome and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The crust softens slightly after day 2 but the flavor is still excellent.