Mini Banana Cream Pies

As you read this I will be arriving back on the east coast for a 4th of July holiday vacation. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to go to the beach, squish my toes in the sand and smell the salty breeze, or sit in my parents newly designed yard, and see my family and best friends. This celebration will include a barbecue with loved ones, and of course pie! Another trip to Lake George to see my best friend and a New York City summer night, where I’ll be meeting up with several friends from college. A trip back home during the funnest season is exactly what I am in need of!

So back to pie…I myself am a fruit lover but you can’t get much summer than fresh fruit and cream! I had gotten a special request by a friend who mentioned that banana cream was their favorite. It’s been quite some time since I’ve made a cream pie, but it was a treat bringing this classic back into our mouths.

4th of July is all about having fun, who wants the hassle of having to sit to enjoy dessert. Mini is the way to go. They’re the perfect little bite, without over indulging, while still giving you the freedom to play some games, like giant jenga or bachi ball? I’d say there’s nothing more american than pie and ice cream on 4th of July!

Ingredients {Makes 24 mini pies}

All-purpose flour, for dusting

Recipe Pate Brisee

4 large – Egg Yolks

4 to 5 – Ripe Bananas

3 cups – Whole Milk

2/3 cup – Granulated Sugar

5 tablespoons – Cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon – Salt

1 cup – Heavy Cream

2 tablespoons – Confectioners’ Sugar

Recipe {Adapted from Martha Stewart}

Pre-heat oven to 375*F and roll out pate brisee a 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Using round cutters that fit your mini cupcake pan, cut rounds, so the edges of the pan. {Make sure your dough is even, you don’t want one side of your mini pie with a thicker crust} Prick the bottoms with a fork and freeze for about 10 minutes. Line each with mini cupcake liners and fill with pie weights {or dried beans}, bake until edges turn golden, about 1o to 15 minutes rotating halfway. Remove the weights, reduce oven to 325*F, baking for 5 minutes. {shells should be golden brown} Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks and set aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer {do not boil}, and cook, whisking constantly {about 3 to 4 minutes}

Whisk a quarter of hot-milk mixture into egg yolks to temper the mixture, slowly whisk in the remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center {about 2 to 3 minutes} Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set in ice bath until completely chilled {30 to 35 minutes – this filling can be kept in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day}

Cut 3 to 4 bananas into 1/4-inch slices {depending on how your mini pie shells baked up, you’ll need to cut the banana slices in half and press them into the bottoms of each}. Place a banana slice at the bottom of each mini pie shell, and cover with custard, using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine cream and confectioners’ sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Using a small offset spatula, spread the whipped cream on top of the custard. Refrigerate pie, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Just before serving, cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices and top each mini pie.

Mini Banana Cream Pies