Banana Cream Pie

Banana cream pie made properly is a different dessert from the boxed-pudding shortcuts you find at most potlucks. The filling here is a real pastry cream tempered the classic French way, where you stream hot milk into beaten eggs before returning everything to the pot to thicken. That tempering is the technique that prevents scrambled eggs and gives you the velvety, custard-counter texture worth the extra step. Cornstarch is the thickener of choice for a sliceable custard, and a brief 30-second hard boil at the end is what activates it fully. Fresh bananas fold into the cooled custard rather than getting buried at the bottom, which keeps them from browning and turning that sad gray-brown color you see in lesser versions. A halo of barely sweetened fresh whipped cream sealed all the way to the pie crust edges traps the bananas under a dairy seal that slows browning further. Best the day it’s made, but holds up overnight if you have to.

Pro Tips

• Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the chilled custard, any air gap forms a thick skin that will lump up the finished filling.
• Don’t add bananas until the custard has cooled to room temperature, hot custard turns the slices instantly soft and brown.
• Cool the custard to about 75°F (24°C) before folding in the bananas as directed, warm filling will set unevenly around the fruit.
• Whip the cream to firm peaks rather than soft, soft cream will sag and slump within an hour of topping the pie.

Variations

• Brush each banana slice with lemon juice before folding into the custard to slow browning further.
• Toast a handful of sliced almonds and scatter over the whipped cream for crunch and contrast.
• Use brown sugar in place of half the white sugar in the custard for a caramelized, butterscotch-leaning filling.