According to Americans, banana cream pie is a work of art. So it's no wonder that in 1951 they named it the favorite dessert of the armed forces and even designated March 2 as their day to commemorate it.
This sweet, famous in many New York cafeterias, appeared at
the end of the 19th century when bananas went from being something exotic to
being a common fruit among Americans. Encouraged the cooks to include them in
their elaborations, this delicate but very tasty cake was born, which I invite
you to try.
Ingredients
For 4 persons
- Shortcrust pastry (for the base).......1
- Banana (for the filling).......300 g
- Butter (For the filling).......23 g
- Sugar (For the filling).......50 g
- Chocolate chips (For the filling).......100 g
- Gelatin in sheets (For the cream).......12 g
- Whole milk (for the cream).......500 ml
- Egg yolk (For the cream).......4
- Sugar (For the cream).......125 g
- Cornstarch (For the cream).......30 g
- Salt , a pinch (For the cream)
- Vanilla extract , 1 teaspoon (For the cream)
- Egg whites (For the topping).......4
- Sugar (For the topping).......100 g
How to make banana cream pie
Difficulty: Easy
- Total time 1 h 5 m
- Preparation 20 m
- Cooking 45 m
Start by spreading the [short crust pastry] in the cake pan,
prick it with a fork and fill it and bake it with dried vegetables or rice
placed on a baking paper to prevent the dough from falling. Preheat the oven to
170 degrees and bake the dough for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove
from the oven and wait for it to cool.
Meanwhile we make the filling and the cream. For that in a
bowl put cold water and add the gelatin leaves, leaving it to hydrate for 10
minutes.
Peel the bananas and cut them into pieces or slices. Heat
the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the bananas and sugar, cook
until the bananas begin to caramelize. Set aside.
For the cream, we mix in a bowl the cornstarch with the
sugar and the yolks, making a paste. On the other hand, heat the milk in a
saucepan with the vanilla and the salt, add the previous porridge and stirring
constantly, cook the mixture until it boils and thickens. Remove from the fire
and add the drained gelatine leaves, stir to dissolve. Set aside.
To assemble the cake. Pour the layer of bananas on the base,
sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread the cream, refrigerate for four hours in
the refrigerator.
When it is time to serve, it can be covered with meringue or
whipped cream, it is up to taste. For the meringue, beat the egg whites with
the sugar until they form peaks, put it in a piping bag or spread it with a
spatula over the surface of the cake, burn the peaks of the meringue with a
kitchen blowtorch. If instead we cover it with cream, we will whip the cream
with the sugar until it is very firm, proceed as with the meringue, but without
flambéing it at the end.
What to serve banana cream pie with
The banana cream pie already has enough layers to not need
any accompaniment, however if you have a sweet tooth, you can accompany it with
a hot chocolate sauce or vanilla ice cream. It is perfect to enjoy a special
dessert on a special day.