TWD--Banana Cream Pie---AND a GIVEAWAY!

Banana Cream Pie--yum!  I'm all about all things bananas.  I wasn't too sure about liking this custard/pastry cream and really wasn't wanting to make something with six egg yolks.  I also thought I'd just skip this week, with our plans to go out of town for Kevin's Grandma's funeral, but that didn't work out (see my last post).  So, not being able to get bananas out of my thoughts (hehe, jk) I decided to make the pie.  I planned to only make half the custard and make a pie that wasn't so thick.  I've used Dorie's pie crust recipe before and whipped it up for this pie. 

Dorie suggested that if you use frozen butter you can skip the chilling, so I did that.   The dough turned out beautiful and rolled out great.  I did the whole foil with beans as weights and baked it off.  Well, my crust shrunk.  I HATE it when that happens.

Not a pretty sight.  Sigh.

I went about my many other things of the day.  Chilled and rolled out the scraps of dough that were leftover and decided to see how it would bake up.  While the dough originally came nicely to the edges of the dish, it also shrunk.

Oh well, you can't win them all.  I decided to forge on with the custard. 

Set the half recipe of milk (lightened up the pie by using 2% milk!) to come to a boil, mixed up the egg yolks, brown sugar (oh, see, now I just realized I didn't press the brown sugar through a sieve, hmm), cornstarch and salt in another pot and tried whisking it together.  It was a big clump of sandy goo.  I was worried.  (I also left out the cinnamon and nutmeg--but I did that on purpose.  I just didn't want the cinnamon taste in my banana cream pie.  I may try it someday.)  Anyway, I kept whisking that clump and hoping and added the little bit of hot milk to temper the eggs.  It finally began thinning out and into the pan and off my whisk.  Whew.  I had a little more hope.  Added more milk and kept on whisking.  Once all the milk was added, I don't think it was even a minute until all the sudden that milky mixture turned right into a lovely thick custard.  It was so simple.  I was happy.

Chilled the custard as I went about more things of the day.  As Dorie suggested, I also assembled the "pie" not long before serving it. 

I love that this was layered with custard then bananas, more custard, MORE bananas and a little more custard.  You can't make something too banana-y, banana-ish, whatever--for me! ; )  I was beginning to wish I'd made a full pie, this was lookin' good!

Whipped up some REAL cream (although I still admit to liking Cool Whip better), but aren't you proud I did the real thing (but left the sour cream out)?  Then I piped it on with a pastry bag.

  

We had company over for dessert tonight.  Besides the banana cream pie, I'd made a few other things.  The pie was well liked by everyone who had some.  I liked it!  Is there a way to make fat free eggs?  Can you make fat free custard?  I'm sure some have done it.  I'm glad there is none of this left.  I would just keep eating it, telling myself it was lower in fat because I didn't use whole milk. 

GREAT pick this week, chosen by Amy of Sing For Your Supper, you can get this recipe on her blog.  Lovin' this book by Dorie Greenspan, Baking From My Home to Yours.   Go get ya a copy!  Check out all the other Banana Cream Pies out there in TWD land.

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It's giveaway time!  Why?  Because I feel like it.  Some may recall that a few months ago I had a giveaway for the Chop Wizard and a bunch of chocolate.  An old friend of mine from high school won the giveaway.  I had asked everyone to comment about what their favorite kind of chocolate is.  Shari forgot to answer in her comment, so I asked her in an email.  Well, turned out she doesn't like dark chocolate.  That's what MOST of my chocolate giveaway was.  I didn't want to send her something she doesn't like, so I got her a bunch of other yummy milk chocolate things. 

THEREFORE, I still have more chocolate I'd like to giveaway. 

You think that's all?  Well, I found THESE at the local Michael's Craft Store and loved them. 

Brownie Silicone Molds from Wilton.  There were actually all kinds of things, including a book full of recipes and ideas for cool, cute, yummy brownies.  I didn't get the book, but I got one lucky winner one of these molds and some sticks.  (Okay, I got me one, too.  The one I got makes square brownies.)

 

Go to your craft store or look on the Wilton site and see all the things they have for these!

Well, just because I know so many can't find these little gems in their area, I'm throwing in a few bags of these, too.

Leave me any old comment you wish on this post by Friday, April 10, 2009, midnight, CST and I'll do a random drawing  with my boys to see who the winner is.  (Sorry, this one is limited to those in the U.S. only.)  Tell your friends, this is a good one! ;)  Good Luck!