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Grandpa’s Favorite Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Everyone has a food that someone makes for them which is their favorite right?  My favorite thing that my Grandmother makes for me is Chicken Fried Steak.  She uses minute steaks and dredges them in flour with all sorts of seasonings.  Then she makes a delicious gravy with the drippings, flour and milk – country style.  For my Grandpa, his hands down favorite is the Banana Cream Pie my Grandmother makes once in a blue moon.

Generally, my Grandfather is a man of few wants or words when it comes to food.  He’s an old school farmer so he’d likely be happy to eat PB&J for the rest of his days without complaint.  However, when my Grandmother mentions that she’s going to make a Banana Cream Pie you can see the near imperceptible twinkle in the man’s eye.  You know he’s excited – even if he’s too much of a man to say so.  I’ve seen him down a third of a pie in a sitting without saying a word.  It’s a thing of beauty.

 

Do not share you pie with this man

Do not share you pie with this man

 

Needless to say, this is a family recipe that has been passed down through generations.  I used to think that saving these and guarding them was the thing to do.  However, I’ve started to believe that the best way to honor these recipes is to share them with the world.  Hopefully they will be made by others, tweaked this way and that, and that they will become new heirloom recipes for new families along the way.  That would make my Grandmother proud for sure.  Let’s get to it…

This Banana Cream Pie is traditionally made with a meringue (a la Lemon Meringue Pie) which I’ve included it in the recipe below.  Many Banana Cream Pie recipes use whipped cream instead of meringue and you can too with this one.  Just bake the pie and filling as instructed, then let cool and top with whipped cream before serving.

Ingredients

Pie

  • 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of 2% milk
  • 2 bananas
  • 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 9″ pre-baked pie shell (you can buy or make in advance)

Meringue

  • 3 egg whites
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup Kraft Marshmallow creme (yes, this is a country recipe)

Instructions

Pie

  • Preheat over to 350 degrees
  • Melt butter and sugar in saucepan on low heat – stirring frequently
  • Stir in flour and salt
  • Using a whisk – mix yolks from separated eggs and milk in a separate bowl
  • Stir in egg/milk mixture into the saucepan and cook until thickened
  • Remove pan from heat and add vanilla
  • Cool filling to room temperature
  • Slice bananas and place into pie shell
  • Pour cooled filling over bananas

Meringue

  • Beat egg whites and salt in bowl with mixer until soft peaks form
  • Gradually add marshmallow creme and beat until stiff peaks form – but not dry
  • Spread over warm pie filling making sure to cover edge of pie crust
  • Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until desired light brown color
  • Cool before cutting pie – at least 30 minutes
  • Cut pie with sharp knife dipped in water

 

Hopefully you have a significant other in your life that you can share this delectable treat with.  Or a gaggle of kids who love bananas.  It’s a special treat and really looks impressive if you get the meringue right.  Think Indiana State Fair pie making contest in the late summer.  Warm breeze, picnic, BBQ, family, pie…

If you enjoyed this recipe then read more about food, farming and eating locally in Seattle by Jason Price at TheHungryDogBlog.com!