Recipe: Re: White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie (August Home's Cuisine Magazine Issue No. 1)
(Jan/Feb 1997)
Serves (8)

For the custard filling:

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
5 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract, or 1/2 vanilla bean, split
2 tbls. unsalted butter
3 medium bananas

For the crust:
1 1/4 cup chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs (can be pre-packaged)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Mousse:
1 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
2 tbls. hot water
4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup reserved custard
1 1/4 cup heavy cream, cold

1. Make the custard first so it can start cooling. First whisk the sugar,
cornstarch and salt, together in a large bowl. This evenly distributes the dry ingredients.

2. Whisk the egg yolks into the dry ingredients and mix in the milk immediately. Just make sure the milk is ready! You don't want the yolks sitting in the sugar.

3. Transfer the custard to a double boiler or heavy saucepan and drop in the
vanilla bean. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard is
thick (the consistency of soft pudding).

4. Remove from stove, take out vanilla bean, and stir in the butter. Reserve
1/3 cup for the mousse and cover both with plastic wrap (place it directly on
the custard. Cool for 30 minutes.
MAKING THE COOKIE CRUST
5. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Blend cookie crumbs and brown sugar, using
a pastry blender to get the lumps out. Then stir in melted butter.

6. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and sides of your pie plate and bake
at 350 Degrees for 8 minutes.

7. Dissolve the gelatin in 2 tablespoons hot water for 5 minutes. Stir several
times to make sure that the gelatin is completely dissolved.

8. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, stirring it with a heat
resistant rubber spatula. Then mix the gelatin into the melted chocolate.

9. In a mixing bowl, blend the 1/3 cup reserved custard into the white
chocolate and gelatin mixture. Stir these thoroughly. Set aside.

10. Pour the cold heavy cream into a chilled mixing bowl and whip until stiff.
You should be able to make trails and peaks in the firm cream.

11. Stir a small amount of the whipped cream into the chocolate just to make
it workable. Fold in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Work slowly, cutting down with the spatula, then pulling toward you, and finally
lifting up with the blade of the spatula held horizontally. Don't overmix.

ASSEMBLING THE PIE
Assembly's the easy part. Just take it a step at a time, and remember that you need to let the custard set (about 2 hours in the refrigerator) before piling
on the mousse. Otherwise, it will push a lot of the still liquid custard right
out of the pan. This pie is best made a day in advance, anyway. That allows
plenty of setting time, and intensifies the banana flavor. Plus, it gives you
more time to experiment with the garnish!

12. Layer sliced bananas randomly in the pie shell and pour the warm custard
over them. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 - 3 hours.

13. After the custard has chilled completely, place a mound of mousse in the center of the pie. With a spatula, spread the mixture towards the edge in a circle patern. Once you've completed the circle, repeat the process making smaller circles each time.

Use a pastry bag to make a great looking rosette border. This mousse is
perfect for piping. I have never tried this recipe, however, it looks absolutely delicious in the
magazine. By the way the magazine itself is a fantastic publication.

The article also states that a slightly soft banana always gives you the best,
most intense flavor. So the riper the banana the better.