Banana Cream Pie

1/3 cup cornstarch

½ cup sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups whipping or heavy cream

1 ½ cups whole milk

3 large egg yolks

½ vanilla bean

2 tbs unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium size pan whisk the first three ingredients together, put the flame on medium and slowly whisk in the cream, milk egg yolks, split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds in, and throw in the bean. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE STOVE. You have to keep whisking, and whisking thoroughly until the custard begins to thicken. Once it does, take it off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.

Slice about four  bananas, layer the bottom of the graham crust, pour half of the custard on top, another layer of bananas, then the rest of the custard. Seal the top of the pie with saran wrap (no air bubbles or you’ll get a skin forming on the top of the custard. And let it cool in the refrigerator for at least two hours. (I’ll do it the night before I need the pie sometimes)

Topping and here’s where it gets dicey. I really don’t have measurements for the whipping cream, or the confectioner’s sugar, I just go by taste so… approximations

1 cup, maybe more whipping cream

2 to 4 tbs confectioner’s sugar

Put your beaters and bowl in the freezer for about a half hour (it helps w hip the cream faster). Then start whipping the cream until peaks form (don’t over whip you’ll be looking at butter), sprinkle the sugar to taste then pile it on the pie. I like to use a pastry bag and pipe the whipped cream but you can just mound it on.  oxoxo