Recipe by Chris Morocco, Bon Appѐtit
Banana Cream Pie
A showstopping peanut-studded banana cream pie with sky-high whipped cream. Roasted peanuts pull double duty in the graham cracker crust and sprinkled over the topping, keeping the bananas from making this pie excessively sweet
INGREDIENTS
Crust
9 whole graham crackers
¼ cup salted dry-roasted peanuts
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Filling and Assembly
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
2 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter
4 large ripe but firm bananas, sliced ¼" thick
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts
RECIPE PREPARATION
Crust
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Using your hands, crush graham crackers into a food processor;pulse until finely ground. Add peanuts and salt and pulse a few times until incorporated but with some flecks of peanut remaining. Pour in butter and pulse just until mixture holds together when squeezed in your palm.
Press mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a standard 9" pie dish using the bottom of a flat measuring cup or glass. Bake until golden brown,12–15 minutes. The crust will most likely have slumped down toward the bottom of the dish; remove from oven and press crust back up the sides while still hot. Return to oven and bake until browned, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool.
Do Ahead: Crust can be made 3 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
Filling and Assembly
Whisk granulated sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan to combine. Add eggs and egg yolks and whisk vigorously, making sure to get into corners of pan, until smooth and pale. Whisk in milk, vanilla, and ½ tsp. salt.
Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often and making sure to get into corners of pan, 8–10 minutes (mixture should be bubbling and thickened). Reduce heat and continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Let pudding cool 5 minutes, whisking every minute.
Add butter to pudding and whisk until melted and fully incorporated. Add bananas and stir once to incorporate. Scrape filling into cooled crust; smooth surface. Chill until cold and set, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Spoon whipped cream over filling, swirling as desired. Top with peanuts.
Feature Image: Ted\+Chelsea Cavaugh
