banana cream pie

This is another lovely pie from the hummingbird bakery cookbook. The recipe is very simple and the pie smells and looks delicious. Unfortunately, this baking experience didn't go down without collateral damage. Since I couldn't get my hands on "dulce de leche", I decided to make the caramel for the pie filling from scratch. For reasons, unknown even to myself, I decided to scrape off the caramelized sugar that was sticking to the spoon. Unfortunately, that didn't work out quite the way I had planned it and therefore ended with hot caramel sticking to my finger. Let me tell you, it HURTS and my finger is now sporting an ENORMOUS blister.
Note to self: when making caramel, don't try anything remotely foolish or anything other than just stiring the caramel!
I finished the caramel with one hand in a large bowl of cold water and with the other stiring. Luckily, the pie turned out lovely otherwise it would have been a very nasty Sunday! ;)

BANANA CREAM PIE

adapted from the hummingbird bakery cookbook

for a 23-cm pie dish, greased or lined with greaseproof paper

ingredients pie crust:

260 g flour (all purpose or light spelt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
110 g butter
5 tablespoons cold water

Put the butter, flour and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer (paddle attachment) until you get a sandy consistency. Gradually add the water and knead until everything is well incorporated. Put in a cool place for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F or Gas mark 3).
Roll out the dough on a lightly dusted surface. Line the pie dish with the dough and put a sheet of greaseproof paper over it. Fill with baking beans and bake blind for about 20 minutes. Remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until your pie crust has a nice golden colour.

ingredients filling:

for the caramel:

100 g sugar
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons water
60 ml cream

Put the sugar, oil and water in a pan and stir at a high heat until the sugar has dissolved and has a nice golden-brown colour. Add the cream, stiring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved again. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, stiring constantly. Let it cool.

for the vanilla pudding:

400 ml milk
2 tablespoons sugar
40 g vanilla pudding starch

Put 350 ml milk and the sugar in a pot and bring to the boil. Meanwhile mix the remaining milk with the starch. Take the milk off the heat and stir in the starch, stiring constantly. Cook for one minute, stiring constantly, then pour in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and let it cool.

3 bananas, sliced
200 ml cream
cinnamon

How to put the pie together:

Spread your caramel over the base of the pie crust. Slice the 3 bananas and
arrange over the caramel. Stir the vanilla pudding so there will be no lumps and spread over the bananas. Finally whip the cream and top the pie with it, dusting it with cinnamon.
Store in a cool place (preferably the fridge).

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