Banana Custard Pie

Submitted by HeatherFeather

"Not heavy, very light and creamy texture. This was enjoyed by everyone who tasted it, even those who normally aren't big banana pie fans. I saw a version of this prepared on Ellie Krieger's Healthy Living and tried it right away. This is basically her recipe, but with my alterations. Yes, you could use a premade graham cracker shell if you really want to, but it tastes a whole lot better making this simple homemade one. And don't be tempted to add in whole eggs...just the yolks or you won't get the right texture."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• Crust

• 6 cinnamon graham crackers (6 full sheets)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon cold water

• Custard

• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk (1%, 2% or whole, not skim or it won't be creamy..I used 1%)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
• 3 medium bananas

• Garnish

• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon banana extract (optional)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray.
2. Using a food processor, grind up the graham crackers (6 full size sheets).
3. Add the butter and cold water and process until the mixture is blended and crumbly.
4. Using your fingers or a measuring cup bottom, press the crumbs evenly into the pie plate to form a crust base.
5. Bake 10 minutes or until very lightly toasted, then allow to cool.
6. Meanwhile, place gelatin into a small dish and stir in the boiling water until dissolved, set aside.
7. Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar with the carefully measured flour in a medium saucepan until blended (no heat yet).
8. Beat together the egg yolks and the milk then add to the flour mixture and whisk to blend, still no heat yet.
9. Once evertything has dissolved, go ahead and turn on the heat to medium and set your timer for 10 minutes.
10. Do not leave your pan, keep stirring and heating your custard over medium heat for 10 minutes -- if you stop stirring, it will burn, so grab a helper or gab on the cordless phone to pass the time while you stir.
11. It will look thin and you will be thinking, this is not thickening, and then poof right around 10 minutes, it will start to thicken up and coat the spoon as it nears the boiling point -- custard is ready when you can lift your spoon out and the spoon is coated with a layer of custard that you can swipe with your finger and leave a line that doesn't get immediately filled in by drips.
12. (Depending on what "medium heat" means on your stove, if may actually be slightly shorter or longer than 10 minutes, but 10 min is how long it takes on my stove).
13. Take it off of the heat (keep stirring) and add that gelatin mixture you set aside earlier and the vanilla extract.
14. Grab a nutmeg grater and grate a tiny amount of nutmeg into the custard, stir to blend (if you only have preground nutmeg it will taste gritty, so I only recommended fresh--and go EASY on this as it can overpower; you can leave out if you want).
15. Slice up your bananas as the custard cools slightly.I like them to be thin but not overly thin, so they keep their shape.
16. Place banana slices into the pie plate and then pour the still a little warm custard over the top -- poking any renegade banana slices back under the custard so everything is covered, but do not stir.
17. Chill until set and cooled, about 3 hours.
18. Just before serving, whip cream using an electric mixer or a magic bullet until soft peaks begin to form.
19. Add sugar and extract and beat until soft peaks are definitely there.
20. Scoop into a plastic bag, snip off an end, and squirt dollops of whipped cream decoratively over the pie.
21. If you like more whipped cream, then by all means double this or triple this part (only go easy on the extract as it can be too strong) -- but I like the whipped cream to just be a garnish.