To Try Tuesday - Banana Cream Pie

Sorry, I missed the last two Tuesdays but I had a good excuse.  I was in Australia.  It was so nice to catch up with family and eat some good Aussie tucker.  Of course I get back home and two days later I am fighting a head cold.  Right before Thanksgiving.

I wanted to have more than one dessert for Thanksgiving and it is a given there there will be pumpkin pie.  I asked the family what their second choice is and they all chose banana cream pie.  You know, that oh so traditional dessert for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is all about family and being thankful for what you have, so if my family wants to be thankful for banana cream pie, then I am happy to make it our tradition.

I couldn't find my usual recipe so I went with this one that I found in my binder.  Since I am still fighting the above-mentioned cold, and given I am not a big fan of graham cracker crusts, I decided to go with a store-bought pie crust.

I found the custard to be way to sweet but when I got my girls to try a bit of it with some left over banana slices their eyes rolled in delight.  I aim to please.  Next time I would also make my own pie crust because I really think that this needs a nice deep crust so that you can layer lots of bananas and custard.  Of course the whipped cream on top adds a little more sweetness.  You might as well go the whole hog by this stage.

Of course as I was typing up this post and looking for recipe on the internet I found my original recipe.  Here is a link to it.  Below is the recipe I sort of followed this time minus the cracker crumb crust and the coconut caramel sauce. I just baked the pre-made pie crust, cooled it for 10 minutes, then layered sliced bananas with the custard, and topped it with whipped cream and sliced bananas.

Banana Cream Pie with Coconut Caramel Sauce

Original recipe found here

Ingredients: Crust 

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely ground macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon sugar 

Ingredients: Sauce  

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk 

 Ingredients: Custard   

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups cold whole milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

Ingredients: Topping 

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 ripe but firm bananas, peeled and sliced

Preparation: To make the crust 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking sheet. Arrange eight 3-inch-diameter hinged ring molds on the baking sheet.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, nuts, melted butter and sugar in a bowl; mix until well blended. Pat the crumb mixture into the ring molds. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool, leaving the ring molds in place.

Preparation: To make the sauce

1. Place the sugar in a small heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly until it melts and turns golden brown. Do not let the sugar burn.
2. Carefully add the coconut milk, stirring vigorously. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside.

Preparation: To make the custard

1. Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk in the milk until the mixture is completely smooth. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the mixture is warm.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl until blended. Stir a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks. Then pour the egg mixture back into the milk mixture. Cook for about 10 minutes, whisking vigorously, until the custard is quite thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
3. Pour the custard into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let cool completely.

Preparation: To make the topping

1. Beat the cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 cup of the whipped cream into the cooled custard. 
2. Beat the powdered sugar into the remaining whipped cream. 

To Serve:

1. Slide a spatula under each ring mold and move each to a serving plate.  Inside the rings, alternate layers of banana and custard, finishing with custard on the top.
2. Carefully unhinge and remove the rings.  Spoon the coconut caramel sauce around and over each custard.
3. Garnish with the sweetened whipped cream.

Serves 8. 

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