"Sandy's Recipe Room"

ANOTHER RECIPE FROM "SANDY'S RECIPE ROOM"
http://www.wwnet.net/~joejean/reciperoom.htm

Emeril's Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 to 31/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 pounds bananas, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks with 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Shaved chocolate
Confectioner’s sugar

Directions

1. Combine the egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 cup of the heavy cream in a small bowl and whisk to blend well. Set aside.

2. Combine the remaining 2 cups cream, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the vanilla bean in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and bring it to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Be forewarned: the mixture will break. Don’t be alarmed. Pour it into a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap down over the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely at room temperature.

3. When cooled, remove the vanilla bean and pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip. Beat a medium speed to combine the mixture. If it will not combine, warm another 1/2 cup heavy cream and slowly add it to the mixture. Whip until you have a thick and creamy custard.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and the mashed banana in a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix together. Add the butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Emeril’s Tips: Vanilla beans are long and thin. To get the essence of the bean, it must be split, then scraped to remove the resinous, pasty insides. Lay the bean on a flat surface with its seam facing up. Using a sharp knife, place the point in the seam at the center and split to one end. Use the blade of the knife to scrape the pasty seeds out. To make shaved chocolate, chill a block of chocolate. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the sides of the block.

Ingredients for Caramel Drizzle Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream

Directions for Caramel Sauce

1. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a deep caramel color and has the consistency of a thin syrup, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cream, return the saucepan to the high heat and boil the sauce until it regains the consistency of a thick syrup, about 2 minutes. Cool.

2. The sauce can be refrigerated until ready to use. Allow it to reach room temperature before drizzling it over the pie.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Sauce

1/4 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions for the Chocolate Sauce

1. Combine the half-and-half and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until a thin paperlike skin appears on the top. Do not boil. Add the chocolate and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and let cool.

3. The sauce can be kept refrigerated for several days, but it must be returned to room temperature before serving.

Assembling Directions

1. To assemble, spread about 1/2 cup of the custard on the bottom of the crust. Arrange about a third of the banana slices, crowding them close together over the custard. Next, spread 1 cup of the custard over the bananas. Arrange another third of the banana slices close together over the custard. Top with 1 cup custard and the remaining banana slices. Top with the remaining custard, covering the bananas completely to prevent them from turning brown.

2. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.

3. To serve, cut pie into wedges and drizzle on the caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Top with the whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.