- (one) Fully Baked and Cooled 10-inch Flaky Tart Dough Pie Shell (below)
- 3oz Bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped (I used semisweet chocolate chips)
- 1c. Heavy Cream (very cold)
- 2tbsp. Sugar
- 1/3c. Caramel (recipe below)
- 2 1/2c. Pastry Cream (recipe below)
- 2 Ripe Bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
- 3oz Bittersweet chocolate bar for making curl (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cocoa)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2/3 cup Water, very cold
- 3 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup + 5 tbsp unsalted butter, very cold
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/2 Vanilla bean
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 4 tbsp. Cornstarch
- 1/2 cups + 1tbsp Sugar
- 2 Large eggs
- 4tbsp. Unsalted butter
- 2/3c. Heavy cream
- 1/4 Vanilla bean
- 1 1/4c. Sugar
- 1/4c. Water
- 1/4tsp. Salt
- 2tbsp. Light corn syrup
- 3/4tsp. Lemon juice
- 4tbsp. Unsalted Butter
To make the dough in the food processor, put the flour in the work bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and scatter the pieces over the flour. Pulse briefly until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. Add the water-and-salt mixture and pulse for several seconds until the dough begins to come together in a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still be able to see some butter chunks.
To make the dough by hand (
I used this method), put the flour in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and scatter the pieces over the flour. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. Drizzle in the water-and-salt mixture and stir and toss with a fork until the dough begins to come together in a shaggy mass. Gently mix until the dough comes together into a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still be able to see some butter chunks.On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 2 equal balls and shape each ball into a disk 1-inch thick (
since I halved the recipe, I only had 1 disk). Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or for up to overnight.Preheat the oven to 375F
Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thick and place into pie dish. Blind bake the shell for 25mins until the surface looks light brown. Remove the shell from oven and remove the weights, return pie shell to oven and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.
Let the shell cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the tip of a sharp knife to scrape the seeds from the pod halves into the milk. Add the salt, place over medium-high heat, and bring to just under a boil, stirring occasionally and making sure that the milk solids are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
When the milk is ready, slowly ladle about one-third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the hot milk and continue whisking over medium heat until about 2 minutes. I order for the cornstarch to cook ad thicken fully, the mixture must come just to the boiling point. You want to see a few slow bubbles. Remove from heat and immediately pour through the sieve into the bowl. Let cool for 10minutes, stirring occasionally to release the heat and prevent a skim from forming on top.
Cut the butter into 1-tablespoon pieces. When the pastry cream is ready (temp should be at 140F) whisk the butter into the pastry cream 1 tablespoon at a time, always whisking until smooth before adding the next tablespoon.
To cool the cream, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the top of the cream (the plastic wrap prevents a skin from forming on the surface). Chill.
In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, salt, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then cook, without stirring, until the mixture is amber colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
Carefully and slowly add the cream to the sugar syrup. The mixture will boil vigorously at first. Let the mixture simmer down, and then whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and add them to the caramel one at a time, whisking constantly after each addition. Then whisk the caramel periodically as it continues to cool.
While the chocolate is setting, pour heavy cream into a mixing bowl and whip with a whisk or a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until thickened. Add the sugar and continue to whip until it holds medium-firm peaks.
Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator and drizzle the caramel evenly over the chocolate. Transfer the pastry cream to the shell. Arrange the banana slices evenly over the pastry cream, and then lightly press them into the cream.
Using an offset or rubber spatula, spread the whipped cream on the top. Cover with chocolate curls and powdered sugar (optional). ENJOY!!!
Chill the pie until the pastry cream is set, at least 3 hours. Serve the pie cool. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
>Uh, please stop baking while I'm out of town. Or mail me sample pieces. Okay thanks.