Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

DIRECTIONS

• Vanilla Pastry Cream: In a heavy medium saucepan, bring half and half to a a simmer.
• In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour in medium bowl to blend.
• Gradually whisk in hot half and half.
• Transfer to saucepan.
• Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil (about 5 minutes).
• Boil 1 minute.
• Pour into a medium bowl.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Press plastic unto surface of cream.
• Cover; chill until cold (about 4 hours).
• For The Crust: Butter 9-inch glass pie dish.
• In a heavy, small saucepan stir butter and chocolate over low heat.
• Mix in cookie crumbs.
• Press unto bottom and sides.
• Chill until firm (about 30 minutes).
• For Chocolate Ganache: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat butter and cream until hot, but do not boil.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate and vanilla.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons of the ganache in a small bowl at room temperature (to be used as garnish).
• Pour remaining ganache over crust.
• Chill crust until chocolate ganache is firm (about 30 minutes).
• Assembly: Thinly slice 3 bananas.
• Arrange banana slices over chocolate.
• Whisk Vanilla Pastry Cream until smooth.
• Spread pastry cream evenly over bananas.
• Drizzle reserved chocolate ganache over pastry cream.
• Draw toothpick through pastry cream and chocolate to marbleize.
• Refrigerate until pastry cream is set (at least 3 hours and up to one day).
• Vanilla Whipped Cream: In a medium bowl, beat cream, powders sugar and vanilla extract until peaks form.
• Can be made 4 hours ahead.
• Spoon vanilla whipped cream around edges of pie or decoratively pipe cream with pastry bag.
• Slice remaining banana.
• Garnish pie with banana slices.