5 lg Egg yolks
3/4 c Cornstarch
3 c Heavy cream; 3-3 1/2
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 Vanilla beans; split &
-scraped
3 c Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 Ripe banana; mashed
1/4 lb Unsalted butter; melted
3 lb Bananas; cut crosswise into
-1/2″ slices
3/4 c Caramel sauce
1 c Chocolate sauce
2 c Heavy cream; whipped to
-stiff peaks with
1/2 ts Vanilla extract; and
2 ts Granulated sugar
Shaved chocolate
Powdered sugar
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 cup of the heavy
cream. Whisk to blend well. Set aside. Combine the remaining 2 cups cream,
1 1/2 cups of the sugar, and the vanilla bean in a large heavy-bottom
saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and bring to a
gentle boil, about 10 minutes.
Slowly add the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens,
about 5 minutes. Be forewarned: the mixture will break. Don’t be alarmed.
Pour it into a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap down over the
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 the bowl of
an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip. Beat at medium-speed to combine
the mixture. If it will not combine, warm another 1/2 cup heavy cream and
slowly add it to the mixture. Whip until you have a thick and creamy
custard.
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker
crumbs, the remaining sugar and the mashed banana. Mix thoroughly. Add the
butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9″ pie pan. Bake until
browned, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool, for about
10 minutes.
To assemble, spread about 1/2 cup of the custard on the bottom of the
crust. Arrange about a third of the banana slices, crowding them close
together, over the custard. Next, spread 1 cup of the custard over the
bananas. Arrange another third of the banana slices close together over the
custard. Top with 1 cup of the custard and the banana slices. Top with the
remaining custard, covering the bananas completely to prevent them from
turning brown. After this pie is assembled it will come about 2-3″ above
the pie tin; it is a very high pie. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for
at least 4 hours.
Cut the pie into wedges and serve with a drizzle of caramel and chocolate
sauce. Top with the whipped cream and saved chocolate. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar.
Yields: One 9″ pie, 8-10 servings.
Yields
10 Servings