Banana Cream Pie

For almost as long as I've known Christian he's talked about his love of banana cream pie {he even sent us on a hunt around Wenatchee for one last year} so for his birthday this year I decided to make him one.  I scoured the internet and my cookbooks looking for recipes and after much deliberating decided to go with What's Gaby Cooking's version {minus the salted whiskey caramel sauce}, mainly because I already had a box of graham crackers and the recipe looked relatively simple.  While it is pretty easy to make, I started in the morning to give myself plenty of time to make all of the pieces and give them ample time to cool {you could even use a pre-bought crust which would make this even quicker}.  Needless to say, Christian was thrilled when I presented him with his pie and after the first bite said I could officially stay in the family {with the caveat that I continue making pies}.  I'd call that a success!

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients
Crust
12 full size graham crackers
1/8 cup white sugar
6 Tblsp butter, melted

Vanilla Pudding
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tblsp cornstarch
2 Tblsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tblsp vanilla extract {or 1 vanilla bean, seeds removed}

Whipped Cream & Assembly
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tblsp powdered sugar
2 ripe bananas

Instructions
For Crust
1. For the crust, place graham crackers and sugar in bowl of food processor and pulse to break up until crackers are same consistency as sugar.  Alternatively, use a muddler or potato masher to break up graham crackers. 
2.  Add melted butter and combine until crackers are damp.
3. Remove mixture from bowl or processor and transfer to 9 inch pie pan.  Press the crumbs into a crust evenly along bottom and up side of pan.
4. Heat oven to 375.  Bake crust about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

For Vanilla Pudding
1. Bring milk and cream to a simmer in medium saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, whisk sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt in large mixing bowl.
3. Add egg yolks to mixing bowl and whisk until smooth but very thick.
4. While whisking consistently, gradually add the warmed milk mixture to the yolk mixture {you don't want to cook the eggs, so keep whisking as you add}.  Once they're fully combined, return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thick, about 3 minutes.  
5. Add butter and vanilla and stir until butter has melted.
6. Transfer to medium bowl.  Press plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding.  Chill until set, at least 2 hours.

For Whipped Cream & Assembly
1. Using electric mixer, beat cream and powdered sugar until medium-stiff peaks form.  Cover and chill.
2. To assemble, spread about 1/2 cup vanilla pudding evenly over graham cracker crust.  Layer about half sliced bananas over pudding.  Top with more pudding and top that with remaining bananas.  Top with remaining pudding and garnish with whipped cream.  Chill until ready to serve.

adapted from whats gaby cooking

xoxo,
stephanie marie