BANANA CREAM PIE

Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-in. (23-cm.) pie plate with the crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Using a fork, beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in the milk, 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, and vanilla over medium heat, until the mixture reaches a boil. Cook for 1 minute, still whisking. Quickly transfer half the milk mixture to the egg yolks. Whisk to combine; return the egg and milk mixture to the saucepan. Return to a boil and cook until thickened, about 6 minutes, continuously whisking. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool before refrigerating for 2 hours. Cut the bananas into 1/2-in. (1.5-cm.) slices and toss gently in a bowl with the lemon juice. Fill the piecrust with 1 cup of filling. Arrange a layer of banana slices. Repeat the layers twice more. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill for 6 hours. Beat the chilled cream and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer until stiff. Remove the pie from the refrigerator. Top the filling with the cream and banana slices, and dust with cinnamon. Refrigerate any remaining pie. BASIC CRUMB CRUST This is a quick and easy crust to make, and is well suited for cream pies and frozen pies. • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (aprox.

graham crackers ground in a food processor) • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted • 1 tbsp. granulated sugar or honey • 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine all the ingredients until they are well blended. Press evenly into a 9-in. (23-cm.) pie plate, beginning in the center and working outward, until the crust covers the bottom and sides of the plate. If you find your fingers are too sticky to do the job nicely, wrap them in plastic wrap and then proceed. Alternatively, you can dust your fingers with sugar as required. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.