Caramel Banana Cream Pie – The Perfect Dessert for Any Occasion

• Instructions

Order of Preparation:

• Pie Crust
• Caramel
• Pastry Cream/Custard Filling
• Whipped Cream Topping

Pie Crust

• Mix all your dry ingredients together. Flour, sugar, salt and whisk
• Place cold butter into the flour mixture and using a pastry cutter cut into dough until a crumbly mixture forms. Alternatively use a food processor and pulse until butter is distributed throughout
• Slowly drizzle your water over the dough and use your hand to bring the dough together. Try not to add any extra water but add up to 2 extra tablespoons if needed.
• Form into disk and cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least one hour.
• Remove from the fridge, roll out on a flour surface and line a 9 inch pie dish leave a big edge and crimping the dough.
• Cover the pie dough entirely in tin foil to the interior and all the edges are covered and place granulated white sugar (preferred) or baking stones or beans in the middle.
• Bake the pie at 350 for 1 hour.
• After one hour remove the pie dough from the oven, carefully removing the weights used to hold it down and the tin foil. If the pie is very dark already, it is done baking but typically I brush with egg wash and bake again. If you used sugar, it will not melt can can be saved for regular use. Beans can be stored for re-use as baking weights.
• Brush with Egg wash and place back in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
• Pull out of the oven and let cool completely before doing next steps.

Salted Caramel

• Place sugar in a small heavy bottom pot on medium heat
• Stir until sugar fully melts and is amber in colour
• Add in your butter and mix vigorously so it is fully incorporated
• Add your cream and mix in until incorporated, it will bubble.
• Add your salt and boil for an additional 1 minute.
• Pull it off and pour into a heatproof container. The caramel will thicken as it cools but will be initial very runny. Let cool completely before using.

Custard Filling

• In a bowl whisk together your egg, yolks and cornstarch
• In a large heavy bottom pot add your milk, cream and salt on medium heat and mix so it does not scald.
• When the milk and cream mixture is heated, ladle some into the egg and cornstarch mixture while vigorously whisking the eggs. You are tempering the eggs to prevent them from cooking when they are ahead to the bigger pot of hot milk and cream.
• Pour tempered eggs into the hot milk and cream and whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until very thickened while whisking slowly to prevent burning.
• Remove from heat and fold in your butter and vanilla.
• Place in a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming. Let cook slightly before filling the pie. It should be about 80% cool but still slightly warm to make spreading easier.

Whipped Cream Topping

• Only make whipped cream when ready to serve. Place cold whipped cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large bowl.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk until thick and stuff. Be careful not to over mix of break the whipped cream (it curdles and becomes lumpy)

Assemble

• Place cooled caramel at the bottom of your pie. A cup of caramel should fill the bottom
• Line the top of the caramel with sliced bananas. Cut your bananas thicker as one layer of bananas keeps the integrity of the pie better
• Over the bananas, place your slightly cooled custard and spread it into an even layer. You may have to reserve ¼ cup of custard depending on how thick your caramel and banana layers are and to prevent overfilling.
• Cover the custard with plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and allow to set in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, make your whipped cream and top your pie after removing plastic wrap.
• With any leftover caramel, you can make swirls on the whipped cream and decorate with additional bananas if you would like.
• Slice and serve!