Today is our Pastor’s birthday so I got some great dessert ideas from his wife. Banana cream pie made the list and since this is another dessert I hadn’t tried my hand at before (and I had a crust in the freezer) I figured “why not”? I used Betty Crocker’s recipe for the filling and had my Never Fail Pie crust ready to bake. This pie is not difficult but it is a bit time consuming–stirring and stirring and waiting for the milk mixture to boil but not burn. It’s similar to a lemon meringue pie only much simpler without the meringue. I tasted the filling prior to pouring it in the crust and it was delicious. I can’t wait to hear how the Pastor and his family like it.

Pastry for One-Crust “Never Fail Pie Crust“

4 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups milk

2 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened

2 tsp vanilla

2 large bananas

1 cup whipped cream, optional

Pierce sides and bottom of the unbaked crust. Bake pastry crust at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

In medium bowl, beat egg yolks with fork; set aside. In 2 quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Immediately stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into the egg yolks (called “tempering”–so as to not scramble the eggs), then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla (be sure butter melts).

Cool filling slightly. Slice banans into pie crust; pour warm filling over bananas. Press plastic wrap on filling to prevent a tough layer from forming on top. (this is why my pie filling has creases in it…so try to put it on “perfectly.”) Refrigerate at least 2 hours until set.

Remove plastic wrap and garnish with additional banana slices and/or whipped cream.

Cover and refrigerate cooled pie until serving. Store covered in fridge.