This Pi Day, we’re celebrating The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie by Paula Haney, the baking genius behind the beloved Hoosier Mama Pie Company. Filled to the brim with pie-making secrets and mouthwatering recipes, this delectable cookbook is a must-have for any baker. To celebrate the holiday, we’re sharing one of our favorite recipes from the book—Banana Cream Pie.
Banana Cream Pie
When we decided to start a pie company, Craig and I sat down and made a list of six iconic pies we knew we had to master in order to call ourselves pie makers. Banana cream was second only to apple on that list, and now it is usually second only to apple in terms of popularity at the pie shop.
All the banana flavor in the recipe comes from the fresh bananas that are layered in the bottom of the pie shell, so be sure to use bananas that are ripe but not bruised. Nutmeg does an amazing job of bringing out the banana flavor. It is worth the extra time to buy whole nutmeg and grate it yourself.
Instructions
Makes one 9-inch (22.5-cm) pie
1. Prepare the Pastry Cream, adding the nutmeg to the stand mixer in step 15, after the heavy cream has been whipped on Medium for 30 seconds.
2. Slice the bananas into 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick rounds. Toss with the orange and lemon juices to coat.
3. Let slices drain in a strainer or colander for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Brush the inside of the empty pie shell with a thin coat of melted white chocolate.
5. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate cools and sets, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove the firm pastry cream from the refrigerator and whisk until smooth and fluffy. Layer the banana slices over the bottom of the prepared pie shell and top with spoonfuls of pastry cream. Make sure all of the bananas are completely covered and that the pastry cream meets the edge of the pie crust. Make decorative swirls or spikes in the pastry cream using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
7. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Garnish with white chocolate curls before serving.
Ingredients
1 single-crust, blind-baked All-Butter Pie Dough shell
1 recipe Pastry Cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1g)
3 medium, ripe bananas (360g)
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice (30g)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15g)
The finished pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not store at room temperature.
Chocolate Curls
At the pie shop, we top the Banana Cream Pie with white chocolate curls and the Chocolate Cream Pie with dark chocolate curls. You can make chocolate curls yourself by running a vegetable peeler over a block or bar of good-quality white or dark chocolate.
The trick is getting the chocolate at just the right temperature; chocolate that is too cold will break into shavings (actually, these make a pretty garnish too!), and chocolate that is too hot will come off in smooth strips but won’t curl. You want to soften the chocolate without melting it, which you can do by either warming a wrapped bar of chocolate between your hands, or placing it, unwrapped, in the microwave for 1 to 2 seconds. White chocolate will soften much faster than dark chocolate.
You can store the curls in a covered container in the freezer until ready to use.