Tasty triangular slices enclosed in charming circular pies. No matter how you cut it, the season for pie is here. We tapped some of the city’s finest piece makers for recipes.
Chris Coombs has long had a soft spot for banana cream pie from his time frequenting the now-shuttered Pie bakery in Newton. But while dbar customers might recognize this recipe from the early days of his Dorchester spot’s dessert menu, it’s never graced the list at Coombs’ Deuxave or Boston Chops. Instead, he’s often served this recipe for friends and family, so you’re best bet for enjoying it might be to track down some Nilla wafers and get baking.
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 cups light cream
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract as a substitute)
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
6-7 bananas, peeled and sliced (1 reserved for garnish)
Crust:
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Whipped Cream Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the crust, mix the vanilla wafer crumbs and sugar together by hand. Add the melted butter and mix until wet. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish and up the sides. Bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown and then let cool.
For the vanilla cream filling, place 1/4 cup of sugar, light cream and the vanilla bean pod and seeds in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg and 1/4 cup of sugar together in a medium bowl, adding in the cornstarch until smooth. Once the cream mixture is hot, remove the vanilla bean pod and pour a quarter of the hot mixture into the egg mixture and combine, adding another quarter of the hot cream mixture and whisking. Transfer the contents of the egg mixture bowl to the hot cream saucepan and cook on low-medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Continue whisking for another minute, then remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Place the cream in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap—the wrap should directly touch the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature.
For the whipped cream topping, combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk until peaks form. On a cutting board, slice three bananas and place in the bottom of the pie crust, creating an even layer. Smooth half of the vanilla cream filling over the bananas and repeat, laying three sliced bananas and smoothing the other half of the vanilla filling over the bananas. Spoon the whipped cream topping in rustic peaks, covering the top layer of vanilla filling. Arrange the remaining sliced banana on top of the whipped cream just before serving.
LIFE OF PIE: Salted Caramel Pie | Banana Cream Pie | Mississippi Mud Pie | Cranberry Bakewell Pie | Pilgrim Pie | S’mores Pie | Sweet Potato Pie | Apple Rye Pie | Pumpkin Pie | Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Chris Coombs' shares his banana cream pie recipe
Tasty triangular slices enclosed in charming circular pies. No matter how you cut it, the season for pie is here. We tapped some of the city’s finest piece makers for recipes.
Banana Cream Pie
Chris Coombs has long had a soft spot for banana cream pie from his time frequenting the now-shuttered Pie bakery in Newton. But while dbar customers might recognize this recipe from the early days of his Dorchester spot’s dessert menu, it’s never graced the list at Coombs’ Deuxave or Boston Chops. Instead, he’s often served this recipe for friends and family, so you’re best bet for enjoying it might be to track down some Nilla wafers and get baking.
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 cups light cream
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract as a substitute)
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
6-7 bananas, peeled and sliced (1 reserved for garnish)
Crust:
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Whipped Cream Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the crust, mix the vanilla wafer crumbs and sugar together by hand. Add the melted butter and mix until wet. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish and up the sides. Bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown and then let cool.
For the vanilla cream filling, place 1/4 cup of sugar, light cream and the vanilla bean pod and seeds in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg and 1/4 cup of sugar together in a medium bowl, adding in the cornstarch until smooth. Once the cream mixture is hot, remove the vanilla bean pod and pour a quarter of the hot mixture into the egg mixture and combine, adding another quarter of the hot cream mixture and whisking. Transfer the contents of the egg mixture bowl to the hot cream saucepan and cook on low-medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Continue whisking for another minute, then remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Place the cream in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap—the wrap should directly touch the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature.
For the whipped cream topping, combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk until peaks form. On a cutting board, slice three bananas and place in the bottom of the pie crust, creating an even layer. Smooth half of the vanilla cream filling over the bananas and repeat, laying three sliced bananas and smoothing the other half of the vanilla filling over the bananas. Spoon the whipped cream topping in rustic peaks, covering the top layer of vanilla filling. Arrange the remaining sliced banana on top of the whipped cream just before serving.
LIFE OF PIE: Salted Caramel Pie | Banana Cream Pie | Mississippi Mud Pie | Cranberry Bakewell Pie | Pilgrim Pie | S’mores Pie | Sweet Potato Pie | Apple Rye Pie | Pumpkin Pie | Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie
View All Events
Related Articles
F*@k Forks!
Leave your forks in the drawers and dig in to this handful of standout dishes...
Ring to the Table
The engaging history of Sonsie's Table 50...
By the slice
Three spots to grab a slice on National Pizza Day...
On the Double
Mei Mei's scallion pancake sandwiches are coming to a kitchen near you...
A Final Bow
If you’ve ever had a Hoodsie Sundae Cup...
Tigers Love Pepper, They Hate Cinnamon
Artisan Approach
Building Something New in Allston...
Comfort, Enjoy
A stalwart expands to a neighborhood in transition...