Nicolette Foster of Third Street Social prepares their delicious banana cream pie.
See more at www.ThirdStreetSocial.com.
Banana Cream Pie
For the crust -
2 cups cake flour
9 tbsp butter, very cold
1 pinch coarse sea salt
4 tbsp water
2 egg yolks
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Cut the chilled butter into very small pieces and add to bowl, along with the sea salt. Using the palms of your hands, work the butter and salt until it resembles small grain or sand. When the mixture has this texture, add the water and egg yolks. Incorporate into the butter and flour mixture just until the dough is homogenous and holds together; do not overwork the dough. (If you have a stand mixer, you can prepare the dough in the bowl of the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.) Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour before using. You can also prepare the dough one day ahead; it will be easier to roll out. Butter the tart ring. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to the size of the pan, 1/10 inch thick. Then gently press the dough into the ring. Roll the top of the ring with rolling pin to remove excess dough. Fill with baking beans and bake until golden at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, about 15 minutes.
For the filling -
1 vanilla bean
1 2/3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup 1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp butter
With a sharp knife, slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip, scrape the interior to remove the seeds. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla pod and seeds. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover immediately and allow to infuse for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until slightly pale. Incorporate the cornstarch. Remove the vanilla pod from the saucepan and reheat the milk, bringing to a simmer. Pour a third of the hot milk over the egg yolk, sugar, and cornstarch mixture (to temper the yolks.) Whisk together and pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring with a whisk, making sure to scrape down the sides of the pan with a spatula. Remove from the heat and pour the cream into a clean bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes so that it is still hot but not boiling. Incorporate the butter while stirring. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until ready to use.
For the whipped cream -
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, very cold
3 tbsp powdered sugar
Keep the heavy cream in the refrigerator until ready to use. It must be very cold in order to whip. Place a large mixing bowl in the freezer to chill. Pour the very cold cream into the chilled bowl and whisk energetically. As soon as it thickens, add the sugar and continue to whip until the cream is firm.
To assemble the pies, fill each crust with some pastry cream, layer with sliced bananas and then more cream. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe whipped cream on top.
