Banana Cream Pie

So one of our favorite pies around these parts is banana cream! It's a tough choice between coconut cream and banana for me but this year the banana cream won out for the holidays.  This is a great pie all year round though.  We've been known to have it at 4th of July even! (It's almost apple pie right?)

My grandma is from Tennessee and when we were little she used to make banana pudding for us all the time.  You know the kind where you put the hot pudding over vanilla wafers and let it sit for a couple days until it's all mushy!Perhaps I'll need to make and post that entire recipe on here too. But the main thing I learned from my grandma is that banana cream whatever tastes best when made with plain ol' vanilla pudding.  Cutting up bananas in it gives it all the banana flavor it needs. This pie recipe is based off of her pudding recipe and just put in a pie shell instead.  Give it a try!

Banana Cream Pie
1 pie crust (baked)
Filling:
3 cups half and half (or whole milk)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 egg yolks
2 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 bananas
Topping:
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
chopped walnuts (optional)

Bake pie crust and cool completely.  While crust is cooling, add milk to a large saucepan and scald.  (Use a large pan not because there will be a lot of filling but the more surface area the filling has to cook the easier it will thicken).  When the milk is heated, add sugar, flour and salt.  Whisk well and continue stirring until thickened (about 5 minutes).  Reduce heat, cover, and cook 2 more minutes.  In a small bowl beat egg yolks.  Add about 1/4 cup of the hot mixture to the eggs and whisk together.  When mixed completely add the egg mixture back to the rest of the filling.  Finish cooking for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Allow to cool until just warm.

While filling is cooling, make topping by whipping the cream and sugar together until thick and fluffy.  Chop the nuts.

Line pie crust with sliced bananas and pour warm filling onto bananas.  Top with whipped cream and chopped walnuts if desired.  Allow to cool completely in fridge, at least 2 hours.