Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Make pie dough

In a large bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups flour, 2 tbs sugar and 0.5 tsp salt. Add cold cubed butter and 0.25 cup cold shortening. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, cut fats into the flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.

Sprinkle 3 tbs ice water over mixture, tossing gently with a fork until dough just holds together. Add an extra tablespoon water only if needed. Gather into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp edges. Chill 15 minutes while oven preheats to 400°F (200°C).

Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 8–10 minutes until golden. Let cool completely on a rack.

Whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 0.25 tsp salt and 2 tbs sugar in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk 0.5 cup milk, 1 egg and 2 tbs melted butter. Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined; do not overmix.

Heat 3 cups vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, drop 2-tablespoon portions of batter into hot oil, frying 2–3 minutes per side until golden and puffed. Drain on paper towels and toss lightly with 2 tbs granulated sugar mixed with 0.25 tsp cinnamon if using. Serve alongside the pie or fill with pastry cream and banana slices.

Place 2 cups milk in a saucepan and warm over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.

In a medium bowl, whisk 0.66 cups sugar with 4 egg yolks until pale. Whisk in 0.25 cup cornstarch until smooth.

Slowly temper the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture: add about 1/3 cup warm milk while whisking, then gradually add the rest in a thin stream, whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a gentle boil (about 2–3 minutes). Continue whisking and cook 30–60 seconds more to eliminate starchy taste.

Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tbs butter, 1 tsp vanilla and 0.125 tsp salt until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent skin formation and chill until cool, at least 1 hour.

Slice 2 of the bananas into 1/4-inch rounds. Toss lightly with 1 tsp lemon juice to prevent browning.

Once pastry cream is cool, fold it gently to loosen. Slice the third banana and mash it lightly; fold the mashed banana into the pastry cream for a banana-forward filling (optional) or reserve mashed banana for layering only.

Place the baked and cooled crust on a serving plate. Arrange a single layer of banana slices over the bottom of the crust.

Spoon the chilled pastry cream over the banana layer and smooth the top with an offset spatula. If you folded mashed banana into the cream, the flavor will be uniformly banana; otherwise the slices will provide banana pockets.

Top the filled pie with the remaining banana slices in a decorative pattern.

Chill the assembled pie at least 1 hour to set before serving.

In a chilled bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tbs confectioners' sugar and 0.5 tsp vanilla to soft peaks. Pipe or dollop whipped cream around the edges of the pie and over the center as desired.

If serving with donut shells, use a pastry bag to fill each fried donut with reserved pastry cream and a banana slice, or serve them dusted with the sugar/cinnamon mixture alongside slices of pie.

Optionally dust the pie surface lightly with a sprinkle of granulated sugar and a pinch of cinnamon for aroma. Keep pie refrigerated; best served within 2 days.