Banana Cream Pie With Whipped Cream Topping Recipe
Where all of Grandmother's favorite recipes are found, just like Grandmother makes them, with a little love.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Coated Pie Shell
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening , chilled
3�4 tablespoons ice water
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
Banana Cream Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar , plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon table salt
5 large egg yolks , lightly beaten
2 cups milk , whole or 2 percent
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 vanilla bean , about 3-inches long, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon brandy or more to taste
2 medium bananas
Stabilized Whipped Cream
1 Tb cold water
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream, cold
3 - 4 Tb confectioner's sugar (4 Tb,= 1/4 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
For the Crust:
Mix flour, salt, and sugar in food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Scatter butter pieces over mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little of the flour. Cut butter into flour with five one-second pulses.
Add shortening; continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no larger than a small pea, about four more one-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the water over mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold water into flour mixture, then repeatedly press down on dough mixture with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water if dough will not come together. Shape dough into ball with hands, then flatten into 4-inch wide disk.
Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes before rolling.
Generously sprinkle 18-inch work area with 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs. Remove dough from wrapping and place in center of work area. Scatter a few more crumbs over disk top. Roll dough from center to edges to make 9-inch disk, rotating a quarter turn after each stroke and sprinkling additional crumbs underneath and on top, as necessary, to heavily coat dough.
Flip dough and continue to roll, without rotating, into 13-inch disk just under 1/8-inch thick.
Fold dough in quarters, then place dough point in center of 9-inch Pyrex pie pan.
Unfold dough to cover pan completely, with excess dough draped over pan lip. Trim and flute crust.
Refrigerate dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Prick shell at 1/2-inch intervals to keep dough from ballooning during baking.
Press a doubled 12-inch square of aluminum foil inside pie shell. Prick foil to prevent further ballooning. Refrigerate to let dough relax, at least 30 minutes longer.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake, checking occasionally for ballooning, until crust is firmly set, about 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove foil, and continue to bake until crust is crisp and golden brown in color, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
For the Filling:
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan. Add yolks, then immediately but gradually whisk in milk and evaporated milk. Drop in vanilla bean. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently at first, then constantly as mixture starts to thicken and begins to simmer, 8 to 10 minutes. Once mixture simmers, continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat; whisk in butter and brandy. Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and whisk them back into filling.
Pour filling into shallow pan (another pie pan works well). Put plastic wrap directly over filling surface to prevent skin from forming; cool until warm, about 30 minutes.
Pour half the warm filling into pie shell. Peel and slice the bananas on top of half the filling and top with remaining filling.
Once again, place sheet of plastic wrap directly over filling surface. Refrigerate pie until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.
For the Whip Cream:
Place cold water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top and let sit until dissolved (about 1 minute). Microwave 10-30 seconds or until melted, watching all the while so it doesn't overflow. Whip cream until it starts to make ribbons and thicken. Add confectioners sugar and whip until distributed. Add gelatin then vanilla, whip until medium peaks are achieved.
Spread over filling and refrigerate until ready to serve.
