Double Layer Banana Cream Pie Food

BANANA CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Make the caramel: Heat a small, heavy saucepan over medium. Sprinkle just enough sugar to evenly cover the bottom of the pan and cook, without stirring, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle over remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork to dissolve and waiting for each addition to melt before adding the next, until all the sugar has melted into a syrup, 3 to 4 minutes. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until deeply browned and just starting to smoke, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, immediately add honey and butter, and carefully stir to combine. Add cream and salt, return to medium heat, and simmer for 30 seconds. Set aside to cool. (Caramel can be made up to 1 month in advance and stored at room temperature.)
• Make the crust: Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, combine wafers, sugar and salt, and process until finely ground. You should have about 2 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Add butter and cream, and pulse until well-combined and crumbs are moistened. (Alternatively, place wafers, sugar and salt in a zip-top freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer to a large bowl, add butter and cream, and mix well with a stiff rubber spatula until combined.) Transfer crumb mixture to a standard 9-inch pie plate.
• Using the backs of your fingers, press the crumbs evenly against the walls of the pie plate. Press the remaining crumbs against the bottom of the pie plate. Use the sides and bottom of a dry measuring cup to firmly pack the crumbs along the sides and bottom of the pie plate. (If the crumbs aren't holding together, they may be too coarsely ground; process further and try again.) Set on a sheet pan and bake until the crust is golden brown, smells toasty and feels dry to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. (Crust can be prepared 3 days in advance and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature.)
• Make the filling and assemble: Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, crush the cardamom pods until the husks are torn and the seeds are cracked. Set aside. Spread about three-quarters of the caramel over the crust. Peel the bananas, slice into 1/4-inch-thick coins and arrange on top of caramel.
• In a medium saucepan (preferably with sloped sides), whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add egg, egg yolks and cracked cardamom, and whisk to combine. Whisk in milk and cook over medium, whisking constantly (take care to get into the corners of the pot), until thickened and just beginning to bubble, 5 to 6 minutes. After the first bubble, continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 full minute. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until fully melted and incorporated.
• Strain custard through a fine-mesh strainer directly into the banana-lined pie shell. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the top of the custard. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard (or don't, if you like pudding skin) and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours before serving.
• Make the topping and decorate: In a food processor, combine freeze-dried banana, sugar and salt. Blitz until finely ground. Add cream and vanilla, and use a fork to roughly mix, moistening all the banana powder. Pulse together until thickened, spreadable and doubled in volume, taking care not to overwhip, 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Scrape the banana whipped cream over the chilled custard and use the back of a spoon to create swoops and swirls. To garnish, drizzle with remaining caramel, warming it if needed to make it runny, and shave chocolate with a vegetable peeler on top. Use a sharp knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry to cut clean slices.

DOUBLE BANANA CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F, arrange rack in upper third, and place a baking sheet on rack while oven heats.
• Peel 1 banana and place in a blender with milk, egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, and salt and process until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles and is thick, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, a few pieces at a time, until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Pour in filling into the pie shell and evenly smooth with a spatula. Slice remaining 3 bananas into 1/2-inch pieces and arrange on top of custard. Smooth whipped cream over top, loosely cover in plastic, and set in refrigerator until cool and set, at least 3 hours.
• Whipped cream:.
• Place very clean glass or metal bowl and metal whisk in freezer just until cold, about 5 minutes.
• When everything is cold, place cream in bowl and begin to whisk until it froths up and starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Whisk vigorously until soft peaks form (the cream will hold a point when the whisk is lifted but will fall back into the bowl almost immediately), about 1 minute.
• Add the liqueur and whisk until stiff peaks just form (the cream stays put on the whisk when it is lifted from the bowl), about 1 minute. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to use.

LAYERED BANANA CREAM DREAM PIE

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese till light and fluffy; add 2 tablespoons milk, mixing until lump free.
• Add remaining milk, mixing well. Stir in the pudding mix; beat on low for 2 minutes.
• Slice bananas and layer on the bottom of the pie shell.
• Pour pudding mixture over bananas.
• Chill 1 hour.
• Whip cream until stiff peaks form, mixing in the powdered sugar. Spread over pie filling. Dust lightly with nutmeg and refrigerate 1 more hour.