Tuesday, April 07, 2009

TWD: Banana Cream Pie

I love banana cream pie. Love. It. Here's what's funny, though. I've never made it. I don't tend to eat it very often, either. I don't know why. I think I may have to start, though.

This is a good pie. It's medium to high on the fussy scale. I did make a minor change to Dorie's recipe. I was really intrigued by a Nilla Wafer crust that I saw someone else talking about. I've made Dorie's pie crust before. It's good. But I really wanted to try this one. Easy enough. Crushed Nilla Wafers, confectioner's sugar, and butter. Baked. Done.

The custard was next. This seemed pretty standard. Boiled milk added to egg yolks and sugar. And cinnamon and nutmeg. I was curious to see how those flavors would blend with the banana. I discovered the same problem that some of the other bakers had. The custard got really thick really fast. Mine never had a chance to boil. I crossed my fingers that there wouldn't be a cornstarch taste. Into the fridge, and part two was done.

Assembly was next. The custard came out the fridge. It was pretty solid. Dorie recommends beating it vigorously to loosen it. I did that. And then I added about three tablespoons of milk. That's what finally did the trick. The custard is layered in with the bananas. Part three done.

The final step is to make the whipped/sour cream topping. It's pretty straightforward. The little secret is the sour cream. It adds a lovely little tang to the topping. This got spread on the top of the pie.

Tah dah! Pie!

Dorie recommends cutting it very soon after assembly. Problem is that right after assembly, it's still pretty fluid. And your slices end up looking like this:
And the pie left in the plate looks like this:
After a night in the fridge, however, it looks like this:


Much better.

This was a thumbs from all eaters. I enjoyed the Nilla Wafer crust, but it didn't hold together very well the first day. Next time around I think I will use a pastry crust. I discovered that I really enjoyed the cinnamon taste with the bananas. Though, I may drop down the amount a tiny bit next time. It was pretty pronounced. This was not a low-calorie diet dish. Two cups of whole milk, six egg yolks, one stick of butter, and one cup of heavy cream are just part of the recipe. That may be another reason why I don't eat this very often.... Lucky for me it's Passover this week and next so I'll have some good uses for the six egg whites left over.

Thank you Amy of Sing for Your Supper for picking such a yummy recipe. If you'd like to try it, go to her website for the recipe.

29 comments:

Cristine said...

Your pie looks great and the Nilla wafer crust sounds yummy!

Marthe said...

Amazing pie: I think the wafer crust looks very good!!

Amanda said...

it looks delicious and I bet that nilla crust was awesome!

Teanna said...

I love that you used a Nilla Wafer crust!!! And WOW, what a difference a day makes, huh? I think your pie looks fantastic!

Kayte said...

Oh, I feel so incredibly good...for once mine looks like someone else's...LOL! Amazing that it held up overnight in the frig like that...I thought maybe the bananas would all go brown, etc. Yours looks great...and I much prefer a cookie crust to a pastry one any day...I did pastry and it was nice...but the sound of those cookies with that filling and topping, just sends me screaming, "Why didn't I do THAT?!" Nice job.

Maria said...

I bet the crust was wonderful! Nice job!

spike. said...

I thought it was much easier to cut/eat after some time in the fridge too. So good! nice work

Sabrina said...

I love the Nilla Wafer crust idea!!! I will have to try that version sometime!

Welcome to our crazy blessed life said...

I love the comparision between cutting it right away and after a night in the fridge. I will have to keep that in mind for when I actually get to make mine. :)

Megan said...

I did a graham crust, although nilla wafers would have been excellent as well. Too bad I never think to buy any at the store!

Kimberly Johnson said...

The Nilla wafer crust sounds yummy! Your pie looks great!

Cathy said...

It looks delicious! I love your Nilla Wafer crust -- can't go wrong there! Glad this was a hit! I know that Dorie says that this is best eaten right away, but I liked it better the next day (and it definitely held together better after some fridge time!)

chocolatechic said...

I bet that vanilla wafer crust was fabulous.

farah said...

This looks great, well done :)

Amy of Sing For Your Supper said...

Nill wafers would have been heavenly I bet! Great looking pie! Thanks for baking with me this week!

-Amy
www.singforyoursupperblog.com

Heather said...

Looks great, and I'm a big fan of Nilla Wafers.

Carol Peterman/TableFare said...

I really liked the cinnamon and nutmeg additions too.

Anonymous said...

My pastry cream came together really fast and I worried about the cornstarch flavor, too. When I tasted the filling on its own, I thought I detected cornstarch. But once the whole pie came together, it was fantastic.

Unknown said...

Great idea for the crust! Your pie looks amazing, especially after a night in the fridge :)

Melissa said...

What a difference it makes to cut into a piece the next day! Either way, I bet it was delicious!

Patricia said...

Oh, I feel you on the ugly cuts from a newly assembled pie! Your's still sounds delicious though. I'll have to try the Nilla crust just to see what the fuss is all about.

Unknown said...

Hey, I am making macaroons for a seder today! We are having one for our book club. I used my egg white for a healthy omelet. You know the kind I never make unless I have egg whites left over! I love that you tried a different crust. It is the little touches that make it our own. Great job! Have a good day.

Sweet as Coco said...

Wonderful job on a first banana cream pie! I LOVE that you used nilla wafers....I think I want to try that next! Im drooling!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

I'm glad you found a good banana cream pie for those times when you are up for consuming the cream, milk, eggs that it entails. And the cookie crust was a worthy experiment, if a bit crumbly.

I'll be interested in seeing what you make with your egg whites!
Nancy

Pamela said...

It definitely set up nice after some time in the fridge. I was thinking of doing the nilla wafer crust, too. Nice idea. Looks great!

TeaLady said...

Nilla crust sounds just right with this pie. kinda like a banana pudding. Imagine this filling as a pudding!!! Fantastic. Pie looks just great.

Cakelaw said...

I know what you mean about the smoosh factor. I had no chocie but to chill mine overnight as I was taking it to work the next day, but despite Dorie's warning, it was great. It did smoosh a little when my friend V nearly dropped it, but it was kind of a wash and wear pie - I just plastered it back together and voila!

Shari said...

I bet that crust was good with this pie!

Annette said...

It looks great! I bet it was good with the Nilla Wafer crust. More like the traditional banana pudding my mom makes.