Bananas Foster Cream Pie

The last of my pie recipes (at least for a little while), this one's a southern summer favorite with a New Orleans-style twist.  This banana cream pie features all the makings of a Bananas Foster dessert: rum, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  If you're in the market for a truly traditional pie, here's a great recipe from Bon Appétit.  But if you've been dreaming of the Crescent City and a dessert trip to Brennan's (the NOLA restaurant whose claim to fame is the original Bananas Foster), this pie's for you!

Since this sweet treat is an homage to both the American South and the charm (and heat!) of New Orleans in the summertime, I'm pairing this pie with the Band's "Down South in New Orleans," famously performed in Martin Scorsese's 1978 classic film, The Last Waltz.  (You haven't seen it, you say?  You just may be missing the greatest rock 'n' roll film of all time.)  

Crust:

--1 c. crumbled graham crackers

--1 c. crumbled Nilla wafers

--1/2 c. dark brown sugar

--1/2 stick unsalted butter, chilled and chopped

--1/2 ripe banana

--1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the dough begins to pull up from the sides.  Press into a pie pan and bake for approx 20 minutes, or until set.  Remove and allow to cool. 

Pie Custard Filling:

*Lightly adapted from Emeril's banana cream pie custard recipe

--6 egg yolks

--1/3 c. cornstarch

--3 c. heavy cream

--1 c. granulated sugar

--1 c. dark brown sugar

--3 shots dark rum

--1 tsp. cinnamon

--3 ripe bananas, sliced

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, rum, cinnamon, and 1 c. heavy cream for approx. 1 minute.  Set aside.  In a large saucepan, combine 2 c. heavy cream and granulated sugar.  Heat over medium heat, and continue whisking to dissolve the sugar.  Whisk constantly once the mixture has reached a gentle boil for approx. 15 minutes.  Then slowly whisk in the egg yolk mixture and continue whisking constantly until the mixture thickens (approx. 10 minutes).  The mixture will look curdled--this is normal.  Pour into a glass bowl and cover with plastic to prevent a skin from forming on the top and allow to cool for 30-40 minutes at room temperature.  Once the custard has cooled, beat with a mixer on medium speed for approx. 5-7 minutes, or until the custard is fully thickened, smooth, and creamy.

In a large bowl, mix banana slices and 1 c. dark brown sugar.  The brown sugar will adhere to the sliced edges of the bananas, forming a brown-sugar coating.  Place coated banana slices at the bottom of the cooled pie crust, and then cover with the custard.  Refrigerate while you make the whipped-cream topping.

Brown Sugar Whipped Cream:

--2 c. heavy cream

--1/2 c. dark brown sugar

In a large bowl, beat on high speed until very stiff peaks form.  Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag and create a whipped cream topping (I used the star tip and made giant whipped cream stars all along the top of the pie).  You'll need to keep this refrigerated until ready to serve.  So as not to destroy the design of the whipped cream, I put four toothpicks into the pie and then cover with foil (the toothpicks hold the foil a few millimeters from the top of the whipped cream).  Allow the pie to set and chill for 4-6 hours.  

Cut and serve!  (I photographed this a bit too late, so it had turned to much more of a "pudding" than a "pie," but believe me--it was delicious!)