Banana Caramel Chocolate Pie

Last year’s Texas state fair Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust baking contest winner. I suppose the entrant was required to use a refrigerated crust but feel free to use whatever crust you like. The cook/prep time includes all the passive baking/cooling times.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2  cups  canned sweetened condensed milk
• 1  pinch salt
• 3  large bananas
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1  pie crust
• 1⁄2 cup  melted chocolate chips
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chilled heavy cream
• 1  tablespoon  packed light brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Pour condensed milk into pie plate and stir in a generous pinch of salt.
3. Cover pie with foil and crimp foil tightly around rim.
4. Put in a roasting pan, then add enough boiling hot water to reach halfway up side of pie plate, making sure that foil is above water.
5. Bake, refilling pan to halfway with water about every 40 minutes, until milk is thick and a deep golden brown color, about 2 hours.
6. Remove pie plate from water bath and transfer caramel to a bowl, then chill, uncovered, until it is cold, about 1 hour.
7. While caramel is chilling, bake one piecrust according to package instructions.
8. Cool piecrust completely in pan on a rack, about 20 minutes.
9. Brush melted chocolate on piecrust and chill for 10 minutes.
10. Spread cooled caramel evenly over chocolate in crust, and chill, uncovered, 15 minutes. Cut bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices and pour lemon juice over them. Pile bananas over caramel.
11. Beat cream with brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks, then mound over top of pie.
12. Chill until serving time.