Here's a fusion of two classic comfort foods—banana pudding and banana cream pie.

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

Ingredients


  • Piecrust dough (see separate recipe), chilled overnight
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp. fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground, or freshly grated, nutmeg
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp. Jamaican rum
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. banana extract
  • 1 banana, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 22 Nilla Wafers, plus 8 more for serving
  • Lightly sweetened, freshly whipped cream, for serving

    Directions


    Roll out the dough, press it into a 9-inch pie pan, and transfer the crust to the freezer until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut an additional 13 x 13-inch square of parchment. Set the pan on the lined baking sheet. Set the square of parchment in the pie shell and gently smooth it into place, pleating as needed to fit it up against the bottom and sides of the shell. Fill the shell to the top with dried beans. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the shell for 25 minutes.

    Set out a wire rack and, alongside it, a mixing bowl. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and set it on the rack; bring together the points of the parchment (which won’t be hot to the touch), and carefully lift out the beans and transfer them to the bowl. Slide the baking sheet back into the oven and bake the crust another 10 minutes (until golden brown). Set the pan on a wire rack and let the shell cool to room temperature while you make the filling.

    To make the filling, combine the evaporated milk and whole milk in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming. Keep warm over very low heat.

    Combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg in a medium-size bowl and whisk together. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is smooth and pale. Immediately measure out 1 cup of the hot-milk mixture and slowly add it to the yolk mixture, pouring in a thin stream and whisking constantly until combined.

    Turn the heat under the saucepan back to medium. Slowly add the tempered yolks to the saucepan, pouring in a thin stream and whisking constantly over medium heat. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency and a few large bubbles rise to the surface, about 5 to 7 minutes. Once the bubbles appear, continue cooking the pudding, whisking constantly, for 2 more minutes.

    Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the butter, rum, vanilla and banana extract until smooth. Set the pudding aside to cool for 5 minutes.

    To assemble the pie, spoon half of the filling into the prepared shell and top with a single layer of 11 wafers, flat-sides up. Top each wafer with a banana slice, followed by another wafer, flat-side down. Gently press the cookie sandwiches down into the filling. Spoon the remaining pudding into the pie shell and smooth over the top. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto the surface of the pudding, and chill overnight (at least 12 hours and up to 3 days) before slicing and serving.

    Serve cold, with whipped cream and a Nilla Wafer.

    Reprinted with permission from Magpie: Sweets and Savories from Philadelphia's Favorite Pie Boutique © 2015 by Holly Ricciardi, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.
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