Rockstar (Banana Cream) Pie

10.5.15

Oh October!!!! Here you are! And while everyone posts on social media that famous October quote, I’ll just flat out say autumn continues to be the best.  Sweaters and scarves, colored knee socks and dresses with pattered tights. Cozy evenings with bourbon or pumpkin ale.   An impending hurricane in NYC has left the city wet, blustery and cold.  Not that it stopped us from taking AWESOME rockstar photos for this post.

I think one of the best things to come out of creating this blog is how incredibly supportive and encouraging my friends have been about it.  At this point that’s probably all that’s reading this, my fantastic friends, and their feedback and excitement has added to my own. So on this post I was able to do my first collaboration and bake WITH a friend to make something for her husband to celebrate their 4 year wedding anniversary, his grandma’s banana cream pie.

Four years is fruit and flowers. What the shit is that. Come ON. 

However, my friend Emily used this lame ass theme to make something delicious. I made one with a graham cracker crust topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.  And she made a classic pie crust (with lard, WHOA) and a light beautiful meringue top, using her husband’s grandmother’s recipe. 

For the filling:

I forgot to take pictures of this pie crust’s ingredients, and the meringue. But it’s simple, I think you’ll survive.

 You can also use a graham cracker crust, the recipe is here. Or my other favorite pie crust recipe here.

 

 

The great thing about Emily and her husband, Chris, is that they are rockstars, both as humans and musicians.  Emily especially is a jack of all trades, she speaks French, plays accordion, trumpet , guitar, and fronts the super fun bluegrass band, The Bumper Crop Boys, who play all over NYC. So, of course, I picked a rockstar outfit.   Since I gave the pies away and Em and I were on a bit of a schedule I didn’t get pictures eating the deliciousness or of her in the amazing coat I’m featuring……..

This vintage red leather jacket (say THAT three times fast) was gifted to me by one of my best friends, Amelia. And when you’re given something like this you 1. are completely left speechless because it is a SICK ASS COAT and 2. count down the months til you can start wearing it, since I received it in May. I am so glad to finally bust it out.

Because the weather was constantly on the edge of sucking, this usually bustling area in the middle of Columbus Circle was all but abandoned; letting us play around in the wind with no skateboarders to get in our way.

It just makes you feel like a bad ass walking around in it. And the wind was so intense it even made me feel like a superhero at times.

Of course you can also rock this coat out with a little more casual wear: dark jeans/ striped top, or some leopard loafers and black skinnies if you’re feeling ambitious yet casual. 

I don’t know where you’ll find something like this but the point is, find a great bold piece for your closet and embrace it.  Don’t let other parts of your outfit or jewelry steal focus, let that piece stand out so it’s noticed.  Cause something this great, deserves to be stared at.

And can we please talk about this sweater dress I just got from H&M? Talk about cozy. It’s a sweater dress.  That’s a sweater which is a dress.  Did you get that? Warm and sexy. You throw this on with tights and you are done, bitch. You look great.  Wanna amp it up? Get some colored or pattered tights. People think you look pulled together, you only had to put one thing on, it’s a sweater dress.

Red Leather Jacket (vintage) / H&M Sweater Dress (similar) / Korks Shoes 

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

For the Classic Pie Crust

• 1 1/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 cup lard
• 2-6 tbsp cold water
• dash of salt

For the Filling

• 2-3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 large egg yolks (reserve 3 egg whites for meringue)
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For a Whipped Cream Topping

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• High quality chocolate bar (for chocolate shavings garnish, optional)

For a Meringue Topping

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cream of tartar (or salt!!)
• 6 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

For the Classic Pie Crust

• In food processor add in flour and salt, pulse to mix
• Add in lard and pulse until combined, and small pea sized beads appear
• Slowly add water until dough ball forms
• On floured surface roll out until larger than pie pan
• Carefully drape into pie pan
• Cut excess dough off edges
• Patch up any holes with excess crust
• Bake at 375 for 5 minutes, should be golden in color

For the Filling

• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium sauce pan
• In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and egg yolks until smooth
• Pour wet mixture into sauce pan and whisk everything together
• Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken, whisking now and then to avoid lumps
• Take off heat and whisk in butter and vanilla
• Allow to cool and place plastic wrap right on top to prevent skin forming, then chill for at least 1 hour
• At this point for the filling, you can either A) fold sliced bananas into filling gently and then pour into crust or B) layer sliced bananas and filling, alternating

For Whipped Cream Topping

• Pour sugar and cream into bowl of electric mixer with paddle attachment
• Beat until soft peaks begin to form, add vanilla
• Spread on top of pie and place sliced bananas around rim
• Take vegetable peeler and ‘peel’ chocolate shavings onto pie for garnish

For Meringue Topping

• Preheat oven to 425
• Chill mixing bowl and paddle attachment in freezer for about 30 minutes, it should be SUPER COLD
• Beat egg whites until they begin to fluff up, then gradually add sugar and then salt
• Once it’s light and doubled in size turn off mixture and pour on top of pie, carefully making sure to cover the entire filling, or meringue could separate
• Take a spatula and placing it face down on meringue, quickly pull up to create curls all over pie
• Place onto center rack of oven and bake for 3-4 minutes, until golden in color
• Allow to cool

P.S.

*THIS RECIPE MAKES TWO CRUSTS!!!
*We halved it and it wasn’t quite enough to make as big a crust as we would’ve like, in my opinion I’d make the whole recipe, roll it out for your pan so you have enough, and use excess in small tart pans or something of that sort
*Make sure you filling is sufficiently cooled, or it will turn your bananas brown
*Try not to get ultra-pasturized heavy whipping cream, it’s basically impossible to whip since so much fat has been taken out, at least 35% fat is the best option