Banana Cream Pie with Hand-Held Crust

Ingredients

• 1 Pie Dough (Chilled and ready to roll; use a high-quality butter-based recipe)
• 3 Bananas (Ripe but firm, sliced)
• 2 cup Whole Milk
• 0.5 cup Granulated Sugar
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch
• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter (Cold, cubed)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Heavy Cream (For whipped cream topping)
• 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar (For whipped cream)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the pie dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges.

2. 2

   Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then bake for another 10-15 minutes until the bottom is fully cooked and golden brown. Let the crust cool completely.

3. 3

   In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the milk and egg yolks until smooth.

4. 4

   Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat.

5. 5

   Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted and the pastry cream is smooth.

6. 6

   Place a layer of sliced bananas in the bottom of the cooled pie crust.

7. 7

   Pour the warm pastry cream over the bananas, smoothing the top. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming.

8. 8

   Refrigerate the pie for at least 3-4 hours, or until the filling is completely set and cold.

9. 9

   Before serving, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie.

10. 10

    Carefully unmold the pie from the pan if desired, as the fully baked crust should be sturdy enough to lift out cleanly.

Notes

The author emphasizes that the key to a 'hand-held' pie is ensuring the crust is baked all the way through until it is crisp and golden, which prevents it from sticking to the pan and allows it to hold its shape when sliced.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• pie
• banana
• baking
• fruit pie
• custard