Birthday Banana Cream Pie

First, let me start by saying that if you ever start a new hobby or project it is not a good idea to go on the web and search, "The Best _____". I Googled the Best Food Blog. OK. So I suck. I was so down after seeing peoples kick ass work that I hung my head. Then my husband reminded me that most of those blogs are done by rich housewives. And so I continue.

My father-in-law's birthday is Friday and the word on the street is that he has been craving banana cream pie. Now when I think of banana cream pie I think of the cheapo kind with the store bought crust and the banana flavored Jello instant pudding as the filling. We all know Sweet Cheeks can do better than that! I found this recipe on Epicurious (where I find many of my recipes) and thought it sounded out of the ordinary (sort of like me). I made this pie and it had to sit for 8 hours. The suspense was killing me!

This pie is flipping awesome. If I hadn't been at my in-laws at the time of consumption I probably would have eaten at least half of it. Of course I had to be a lady and eat a small portion. The crust has mashed banana in it which makes it almost chewy and full of flavor. The custard has vanilla and vanilla beans which to me is comfort heaven. I wasn't too shy to ask to take some home with me which is going to be my lunch in about 5 minutes.

Banana Cream Pie
Bon Appetit

Makes 1 10inch pie

Crust
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

For crust:Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and mashed banana in large bowl to blend. Add unsalted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Press onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake crust until set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

For filling:Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in whipping cream and whole milk, then egg yolks. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add vanilla bean. Whisk over medium-high heat until custard thickens and boils, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Discard vanilla bean. Transfer custard to large bowl; cool completely, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour.

Put it all together: Stir custard to loosen, if necessary. Spread 1 cup custard over bottom of prepared crust. Top with half of sliced bananas, then 1 cup custard, covering bananas completely. Repeat layering with remaining bananas and remaining custard. Chill banana cream pie until filling is set and crust softens slightly, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Cut pie into wedges and serve.

Isn't the best compliment a baker or chef can get is when a person licks their plate??