An empty blog is just too sad...

So, I've decided to post the recipe for that rockin' Banana Cream Pie I told you about.

I found this, after searching many websites, because I wanted to make real-deal Banana Cream Pie. You know, one that didn't include instant pudding in the recipe. Don't get me wrong. Those are good too. This just takes the whole this up another level. The filling is a custard-like filling, similar to Creme Brulee...love it. I found it on epicurious.com and it was featured in Bon Appetit Magazine.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup mashed banana
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I didn't use them all, it was a lot)

Preparation:

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and mashed banana in large bowl to blend. Add unsalted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Press onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake crust until set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. (It will smell DIVINE)

For filling:
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in whipping cream and whole milk, then egg yolks. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add vanilla bean. Whisk over medium-high heat until custard thickens and boils, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Discard vanilla bean. Transfer custard to large bowl; cool completely, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour.

Stir custard to loosen, if necessary. Spread 1 cup custard over bottom of prepared crust. Top with half of sliced bananas, then 1 cup custard, covering bananas completely. Repeat layering with remaining bananas and remaining custard. Chill banana cream pie until filling is set and crust softens slightly, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Cut pie into wedges and serve.

One tip: After you're done boiling your vanilla bean in your cream, don't throw it out. Do what Alton Brown would do! Dry it off, put it into a ziploc or container with a cup or two of sugar. Ta-da! Vanilla sugar.... heavenly to adorn the top of your next Creme Brulee before.

There you go! We've all got plenty of time to master this before Thanksgiving rolls around.

-Jenny