Banana Cream Pie with Caramel Drizzles and Chocolate Sauce
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
Baked by Daniel Puller
There're a few secrets necessary to successfully making this pie (which, incidentally, has been on the menu at Emeril's since Day One, and continues to be one of our most requested desserts). First, the bananas, while ripe, need to be firm, so that they hold their shape when pushed into place. Second, the pastry cream needs to be very stiff, so that when sliced, the pie will not crumble or slide. It's also important to cover the bananas completely with the last layer of pastry cream to prevent them from discoloring. And while at Emeril's they pipe the whipped cream over each individual slice before serving, feel free to spread your whipped cream over the whole pie, if you'd prefer.
Prep Time:
2 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep Time:
8 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Difficult
Serves:
1 (9-inch pie), 10 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped (or 2-3 tsp vanilla extract)
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cornstarch (I actually use a bit less, more like 1/3)
- 1 9" recipe Graham Cracker Crust
- 3 pounds (about 9) firm but ripe bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Sauce, Shaved chocolate, Confectioner's sugar (all optional garnishes)
Directions
Combine 2 cups of the cream, the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the vanilla bean, and the vanilla seeds in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.
Combine the egg yolks, eggs, cornstarch, and 1 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl, and whisk pale yellow in color. Set aside.
Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon to cook out the cornstarch and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl (I usually skip this step). Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.
To assemble, spread 1/2 cup of the custard over the bottom of the prepared crust, smoothing with the back of a large spoon or rubber spatula. Arrange enough banana slices (not quite one-third) in a tight, tiled pattern over the custard, pressing down with your hands to pack them firmly. Repeat to build a second layer, using 3/4 cup of the custard and enough bananas to cover, smoothing down the layer evenly. For the third layer, spread 3/4 cup of custard over the bananas and top with the remaining bananas, starting 1-inch from the outer edge and working toward the center. Spread 1 cup of custard evenly over the bananas to prevent discoloration. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and the vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form..
Cover the pie with whipped cream and drizzle with the caramel sauce and chocolate sauce, sprinkle with the chocolate shavings and confectioners' sugar, and serve.
Danny Puller