T's Banana Cream Pie
Submitted by cg001c4868
From-scratch banana cream pie with tea-infused pastry cream, a flaky pate brisee crust, and billowy whipped cream. A bakery-level banana pie that’s worth every minute of the effort.
YIELD
1 piePREP
COOK
25 minREADY
This is not your diner banana cream pie. This is the one that makes people go quiet after the first bite.
A buttery, shatteringly flaky pate brisee crust (blind-baked to golden) holds a tea-infused pastry cream that’s thick, silky, and subtly fragrant.
Yes, tea. The milk gets steeped with tea bags before becoming the base of your custard, adding a delicate, aromatic layer you won’t find in any other banana cream pie recipe.
Pureed banana folds into the chilled pastry cream along with sliced bananas, then the whole thing gets crowned with a cloud of whipped cream that’s also kissed with a touch of fruit tea.
It’s a project pie. Block out an afternoon, put on some music, and enjoy the process.
Pro Tips
- Squeeze the tea bags hard. You want every drop of that tea-infused milk. That’s where your flavor lives.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream surface. This prevents a skin from forming as it cools.
- Blind bake properly. Use dried beans or pie weights and bake until the foil comes off and the crust is truly golden. An underbaked bottom gets soggy under all that cream.
- Chill every component thoroughly. Cold pastry cream, cold whipped cream, cold crust. Rushing the chill time means a sloppy, weepy slice.
Ingredients
Directions
Pastry Cream:
In a heavy medium saucepan, combine tea bags, 1 ¾ cups milk, and sugar.
Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, gradually stir ¼ cup milk into cornstarch to form a smooth paste.
Add egg. Beat at medium speed until blended.
Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Remove tea bags from milk mixture, squeezing out as much milk as possible.
Gradually beat hot milk mixture into egg mixture at low speed.
Pour into a clean saucepan.
Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until mixture becomes extrememly thick and boils.
Pour into a large bowl.
Add 4 tablespoons butter and vanilla.
Beat at medium speed until smooth.
Pless plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream.
Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.
Pate Brisee:
While pastry cream is cooling, in a food processor combine flours, salt, baking powder, and ½ cup butter.
Pulse with quick on/off pulses until mixture resembles peas.
With processor running, gradually add ice water until dough cleans sides of bowl and forms a ball.
Shape dough into a disc shape.
Wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 12” circle.
Fit into a 9-inch pie plate.
Roll edge under and flute.
Prick dough all over with tines of fork.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line pastry with double thickness of foil.
Fill with dried beans.
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Remove foil and beans.
Continue baking pastry shell 5 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool on rack.
Cream Topping:
Beat cream until it just begins to hold its shape.
Gradually add 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ tablespoons tea, beating to stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate.
Filling:
Stir puréed banana into chilled pastry cream until blended.
Fold in ½ cup cream topping, then sliced bananas.
To Assemble:
Mound banana cream filling into cooled pie shell.
Spread with remaining cream topping.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
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