Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
This is a recipe from before Cool Whip and instant pudding were around, and it's made the old-fashioned way: with basic ingredients you most likely will have in your pantry. This pie is very adaptable—if you leave out the bananas, you have vanilla cream pie. If you add 1 cup of shredded coconut to the milk as it's being heated, you have coconut cream pie. No matter what, this pie is a winner. Serve it topped with sliced bananas and whipped cream or meringue (and perhaps even a drizzle of chocolate!), and you will have a slice of good old-fashioned comfort food at its very best.This recipe is by Patsy Schlemmer of Bremen, Indiana, and was originally published in The Baltimore Sun.
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
15
minutes
Servings
8
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) pie crust, baked
- 3 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch (or 1/3 cup flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg yolks (save the whites if you want to make a meringue topping)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas
Directions
- Step 1: Prepare a 9-inch pie crust. Set aside to cool.
- Step 2: In a large saucepan, scald 3 cups whole milk.
- Step 3: In another saucepan, combine 2/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch (or 1/3 cup flour) and 1/2 teaspoon salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk.
- Step 4: Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened. Cover and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
- Step 5: In a small bowl have 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready: stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the bowl of beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir the yolks into the hot mixture in the pan. Cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.
- Step 6: Remove from heat and blend in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Let sit until lukewarm.
- Step 7: When custard is cool and ready to pour, slice 3 to 4 ripe bananas and scatter them in the bottom of the cooked pie crust; pour the lukewarm mixture over the banana slices.
- Step 8: If desired, make a meringue with the 3 reserved egg whites to top the pie, or cool until ready to serve and top with fresh whipped cream instead.