CHOCOLATE BANANA CREAM PIE FROM SCRATCH RECIPES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add milk and cream until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Add a small amount to egg yolks; mix well. Return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. , Pour half into the pastry shell; cover and refrigerate. Add chocolate to remaining custard; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Do not stir. , Arrange bananas over filling. Carefully spoon chocolate custard over all. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.

Steps:

• To make the sugar dough: Combine the butter and sugar in a food processor until just blended (or cut the ingredients together with a pastry blender).
• Add the egg pulsing or tossing to combine.
• Add the flour and mix until it is just incorporated, no longer.
• Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F, place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
• Gently fit it, without stretching, into a buttered 10-inch Tart pan (preferably with a removable bottom and fluted sides).
• If you do not have a tart pan, you can use 10 inch or deep 9 1/2 inch pie pan.
• Trim off the excess dough, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang.
• Tuck in the overhanging dough, pressing the edges of the crust against the sides of the pan and forming a high, fluted border.
• Line the dough with a sheet of buttered foil (buttered side down) and weigh down with weights or beans.
• Bake the shell until the sides are set, about 12 minutes.
• Carefully remove the weights and foil and gently prick dough all over with a fork.
• Continue to bake until pale gold and baked through, about 5 minutes.
• Cool the pie shell completely on a wire rack.
• Making the White Pastry Cream: Bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and light, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat, and whisk 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture.
• Repeat once or twice.
• Scrape the warmed egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and return to a boil, whisking the entire time, boil for one minute.
• Remove the pastry cream from the heat, and whisk in the butter and white chocolate until smooth.
• Strain the custard into a clean bowl.
• Place a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream and refrigerate until cooled.
• Shortly before serving time, whip the cream until nearly stiff.
• Thinly slice the bananas and toss with the lemon juice.
• Fold the bananas and the liquers into the chilled pastry cream and gently fold in the whipped cream until blended.
• Fill the cooled pie shell with the filling.
• Gently scatter the chocolate curls over the filling, covering the tart completely.
• Very lightly dust the chocolate curls with cocoa powder and serve.
• To make the chocolate curls: Melt the white chocolate in a double broiler until smooth.
• Pour the chocolate onto a marble slab or the back of a smooth baking sheet.
• With a spatula, spread out the chocolate into an even 1/8 thick layer.
• Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Push a chef's knife blade away from you through a 4 inch width of chocolate, forming a loose curl.
• Continue to form chocolate curls with the remaining chocolate.
• With a large spatula, very gently transfer the curls to a baking sheet and refrigerate until needed.