Try an easier approach for a delicious banana cream pie

This column is appearing a little later than originally planned. As many of you know, March 14 is called Pi Day, because the first three digits of that mathematical constant are 3.14. Through a predictable pun, it has morphed into “pie day,” when we are all encouraged to bake and eat pies. In a vigorous text exchange with friends on the day, we listed all sorts of real and imagined pies, with the greatest applause for banoffee pie, popularized by the Great British Baking Show.

For those unfamiliar with the dessert, banoffee pie is a hybrid, made from bananas, cream and toffee – a twist on the familiar banana cream pie. Without reading the fine print, I decided to make one of these and purchased the ingredients: graham crackers, bananas and cream. What I didn’t realize was how long it would take to make the toffee layer. I found several options, including one where you bake a can of sweetened condensed milk – in the can!

With only a few hours of daylight left for my photographer to capture an image of the pie before my deadline, I changed course and pulled out a few recipes for banana cream pie. Simple enough to accomplish – just make a custard, pour it in a pie crust lined with sliced bananas and bake until set. Yes, this will work, but only if your custard has been properly prepared.

Most recipes combine cornstarch, sugar, vanilla and whole milk with egg yolks. The mixture is simmered until it begins to thicken, and when it reaches the correct consistency you’re ready for the next step. Unfortunately, if your cornstarch has an expiration date in the previous decade and you’re short one egg yolk, this desirable consistency is unattainable.

And, when you optimistically pour the too-thin custard into the banana-lined pie crust, no matter how long it bakes, it will never set. That’s why last week’s column featured asparagus and pasta. Not to be daunted, I reread the banana cream pie instructions and came up with a different approach (and a new supply of cornstarch). Instead of heating the milk mixture, then adding the egg yolks, I combined all the custard ingredients, whisked them together and then heated them.

Magic! The custard thickened beautifully, without a single lump or eggy streak to be seen. I also made another change. Instead of the traditional graham cracker crust, which can allow the unbaked custard to seep through, I replaced it with a pastry crust. The final alteration was to skip the baking step. The custard has already been cooked; all it needed was to chill sufficiently to set, as seen in the photo.

No one is certain about the origins of banana cream pie, but the timing likely coincided with the end of the 19th century, when advances in transportation made bananas widely available to the general population. According to food historians, Banana Cream Pie was named the armed forces’ favorite dessert in 1951.

Although some versions of banana cream pie add mashed banana to the custard, I prefer using a vanilla custard and simply featuring banana as the bottom layer. Here is my recipe, as well as instructions for a graham cracker crust, if you prefer that to a pastry crust. Happy belated Pi Day!

Banana Cream Pie

1 pastry shell or graham cracker shell

2/3 C sugar

1/4 C cornstarch

1/8 t salt

2 1/2 C whole milk

5 egg yolks

2 t vanilla

3 T unsalted butter

3 bananas

Preheat oven to 350 F. Blind bake the pie shell for 15 minutes; allow to cool. In a saucepan, sift together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk until smooth. Add egg yolks and whisk briskly until no yellow streaks are visible. Stir in vanilla. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook until bubbles start to form around the edges. Stir in the butter and continue cooking over low, scraping down the sides, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Slice bananas into the baked pie shell to cover the bottom. Pour in the custard and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the surface of the custard. Chill for 3 hours. When ready to serve, cover the top with whipped cream and sliced bananas for garnish (optional).

Whipped Cream

1 C heavy cream

1 t vanilla

2 T confectioners sugar

pinch salt

Combine ingredients in a bowl and whip with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Use as a topping for pie, shortcakes or trifle.

Graham Cracker Crust

2 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

1/3 C sugar

1/4 C unsalted butter, melted

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and stir to blend completely. Using the bottom and sides of a small drinking glass, firmly press the mixture to coat the inside of pie pan. Chill for 20 minutes, then bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.