Brown Sugar BANANA CREAM PIE
The last time I made a banana cream pie I was creating its recipe for a book I was writing. It’s been several years since then and oh how I’ve dearly missed this delicious dessert. This pie is best enjoyed with others, and while we can’t get together with everyone right now, tomorrow’s holiday is certainly a time good as any to celebrate with those close to you. The most unique aspect of this pie is the incorporation of brown sugar, which increases the depth and richness of the pie’s pudding filling. It’s ridiculously refreshing, and very rewarding to create. I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day, and I encourage you to enrich it with this wonderful dessert!
Banana Cream Pie
Pudding Filling
2 cups whole milk
½ cup/110g light brown sugar, packed
3 tbs cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
½ tsp kosher salt
2 ¼ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 tbs salted or unsalted butter
1-2 bananas, sliced
Crust
1 ¾ cup crushed nilla wafer cookies, about 60 cookies
6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
Topping
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ tbs powdered Sugar
pinch kosher salt
¾ tsp vanilla extract
Method
Pudding
Start by making the pudding. Off heat, add the brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt to a medium sized saucepan and give everything a good whisk to combine.
Slowly whisk in a few tablespoons of milk to dissolve the cornstarch. Gradually add remaining milk until both the sugar and cornstarch has fully dissolved. Whisk in the egg yolks.
While constantly whisking, cook the milk mixture over medium heat until you get a few bubbles that sputter. Once this happens immediately reduce the heat to low, and continue cooking for an additional minute. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low. While still whisking, cook the pudding for an additional minute, then remove from heat.
Pour the hot pudding through a fine mesh sieve into a medium-ish sized bowl. Add the butter and the vanilla and whisk to incorporate. Cover the bowl with a bit of plastic wrap, making sure that the plastic touches the pudding when covered. Let the pudding cool on the kitchen counter until room temp.
Crust
Heat oven to 350 F°.
Add the nilla wafers and melted butter to a medium bowl and mix together with a spoon until it takes on the crumbly texture of wet sand.
Add the mixture to a 9-inch pie pan (I used one with a removable bottom) and using your fingers, evenly press the crust mixture along the base and up the sides of the pan. Make sure to press firmly along the inner creases of the pie pan as to make a little extra room for all that yummy filling. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes; remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Pie Assembly
Once the pie crust has cooled, line the bottom of the pie with slices of banana, then pour the cooled vanilla pudding over the top. The pudding should fill the crust right up to the rim, but if it seems like too much, just set aside the extra and enjoy it as a little snack.
Place the pie in the fridge until fully chilled, 4-6 hrs. Once ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream topping.
Add the heavy cream, salt, powdered sugar and vanilla to a large bowl, and beat with a handheld or standing mixture until medium peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream over the pie, sprinkle with some crushed nilla wafers and enjoy!