Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1 fully blind-baked and cooled 9-inch pie crust
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 ripe but firm bananas
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Before you cook

• Blind-bake the crust until deep golden and let it cool completely.
• Separate the egg yolks into a medium bowl.
• Chill the beaters and bowl for the whipped cream.

Steps

1. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from the surface.
2. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt into the egg yolks until the mixture is pale and thick.
3. Pour the hot milk into the yolks in a thin stream, whisking the whole time.
4. Return everything to the saucepan and set it over medium heat.
5. Cook, whisking constantly and scraping the corners, until the custard thickens and large bubbles break the surface, about 5 minutes.
6. Keep whisking and cook one minute longer to cook out the starch.
7. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth.
8. Press the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to catch any lumps.
9. Slice the bananas about a quarter inch thick.
10. Spread a thin layer of warm custard over the bottom of the cooled crust.
11. Shingle half the banana slices over the custard.
12. Spoon over half the remaining custard, then add the rest of the bananas, then the last of the custard.
13. Smooth the top and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.
14. Refrigerate the pie for at least four hours, until fully set.
15. Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks.
16. Peel off the plastic wrap and pile the whipped cream over the pie in swoops just before serving.