Banana Cream Pie

I hear the best one is at the Buckhead Diner in Atlanta, but maybe you can give them a run for their money. Mine is with salted caramel rather than white chocolate. I think it’s a nice compliment to the bananas. You decide!

Pie shell –Your favorite premade shell is fine-

Extra time is hard to come by these days so when I’m in a pinch I buy the frozen Pie Shell dough at Trader Joes if I’m in LA or if I’m in the UK, Waitrose has a lovely Pre made Short Crust Dough. They are super easy bake at home and just as tasty as homemade.

Bake your pie shell until golden brown and set aside to cool.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

2 egg yolks

1 egg

5 teaspoons sugar

11/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste- extract is fine

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoon flour

11/2 cups milk

1 tablespoon butter

3 Bananas

½ cup Caramel– I like salted caramel from Williams Sonoma

11/2 cups whipped cream

In a medium bowl add eggs, yolks, sugar vanilla bean paste and salt.

Whisk until frothy.

Add flour and whisk until smooth.

Heat milk until it’s just about to boil. Remove pot from heat.

Working quickly_

Whisk 1/4 cup hot milk into egg mixture

Repeat with another ¼ cup and whisk!

Whisking rapidly pour the entire egg mixture into the rest of the milk mixture and return to heat.

Whisk until mixture thickens., about 4 minutes or so.

When mixture has thickened, remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon butter. Whisk until smooth and shiny.

Pour into a bowl  and place a piece of cling film directly on top of  pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.

Chill for 1 at least hour. You may cool over an ice bath (place bowl over a bowl of ice cubes)  or place bowl in the refrigerator.

Slice bananas on the diagonal.

Warm caramel in microwave for 20 seconds

Cover the bottom of the pastry shell with the warm caramel.

Top with 1 layer of bananas

One layer of pastry cream

Repeat and again and again

Top with whipped cream and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Thank me later …