Double Banana Cream Pie

Who doesn't like banana cream pie?! I guess you could call this a "healthy" dessert since you have fruit in it. :-) Who am I kidding, with that rich cream on top, not much healthy going on here. That's okay though, it's still a really yummy treat that the whole family can enjoy.


Double Banana Cream Pie

1 single pie crust
4 large ripe bananas
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into small pieces
Coffee Whipped Cream, recipe follows

Heat oven to 375 degrees F, arrange rack in upper third, and place a baking sheet on
rack while oven heats.
Transfer dough to a 9 1/2-inch pie dish and trim edges so there is a 1/2-inch overhang. Use excess dough to press crust into pie plate. Fold edge of crust back on itself and press, as desired, into a decorative crust. (Can be made 2 days ahead and kept covered in refrigerator until ready to use.) Pierce bottom and sides of crust all over with a fork. Bake as directed on package for a pre-baked crust. Remove to a wire rack and let cool a few minutes before filling.
Meanwhile, peel 1 banana and place in a blender with milk, egg yolks, cornstarch,
sugar, vanilla, and salt and process until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan, bring to
a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles and is
thick, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, a few pieces at a time,
until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
Pour in filling into the pie shell and evenly smooth with a spatula. Slice remaining 3
bananas into 1/2-inch pieces and arrange on top of custard. Smooth whipped cream
over top, loosely cover in plastic, and set in refrigerator until cool and set, at least 3
hours.

Coffee Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
**3 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)

Place very clean glass or metal bowl and metal whisk in freezer just until cold, about 5
minutes. When everything is cold, place cream in bowl and begin to whisk until it froths up and
starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Whisk vigorously until soft peaks form (the cream will
hold a point when the whisk is lifted but will fall back into the bowl almost immediately), about 1 minute. Add the liqueur and whisk until stiff peaks just form (the cream stays put on the whisk
when it is lifted from the bowl), about 1 minute. Store covered in refrigerator until ready
to use.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

**To make this liquor free, use 3 T. cold brewed coffee and 2 T. powdered sugar. You can also use any flavoring that you choose, but remember that extracts are strong with flavor and you won't need to use as much.