Banana Cream Pie

Custard filling:

5 large egg yolks

¾ cup cornstarch

3 to 3 ½ cups heavy cream

1 ½ cups sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Pie crust:

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

½ cup sugar

½ ripe banana mashed

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter melted

2 pounds bananas cut crosswise into ½ inch thick slices

Whipped cream topping:

2 cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Massoneillen pure vanilla extract)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare custard filling in a mixing bowl. Combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Whisk the ingredients together well. Set aside. Combine the remaining 2 cups cream, the sugar, and the vanilla bean in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and bring to a gentle boil. Slowly add the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens about 5 minutes. WARNING: The mixture must break and look curdled other wise it will not set up properly and it will be runny. Pour it in a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap down and over surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely at room temperature. When cooled, remove the vanilla bean and pour the mixture into bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. Beat at medium speed to combine the mixture. If it will not combine, warm another ½ cup heavy cream and slowly add it to the mixture. Whip until you have a thick and creamy custard.

Pie crust:

In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and mashed banana. Mix thoroughly. Add the butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

 

 

Pie Assembly:

Spread about a ½ cup of the custard on the bottom of the piecrust. Arrange about 1/3 of the banana slices crowding them close together over the custard. Next, spread 1 cup of the custard over the bananas. Arrange another 1/3 of the banana slices close together over the custard. Top with 1 cup of custard and the banana slices. Top with the remaining custard covering the bananas completely to prevent them from turning brown. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours. Top the pie with the whipped cream