B is for Baking © 2011 by Susan McQuillan
From B is for Baking (Wiley, 2011), a new Sesame Street-themed cookbook highlighting wholesome baked goods, this creative banana cream pie uses an airy meringue topping instead of a typically heavy pudding layer. The result is a lighter confection, still crammed with creamy banana goodness, but involving fewer grams of fat. And that’s something health-minded grandparents can get behind.
Ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust:
12 whole regular or low-fat honey graham crackers (6 ounces)
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Filling and Topping:
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups low-fat milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium bananas, thinly sliced
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Place the graham crackers in a large plastic food storage bag. With a rolling pin, gently roll back and forth over the bag to crush the cookies to fine crumbs.
3. In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the one egg white and the oil until blended. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Press the mixture evenly across the bottom and up the side of the pie plate.
4. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Set aside on rack to cool slightly. Leave oven on.
5. Meanwhile, in another medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, and oil until smooth. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Add the milk mixture to the saucepan and whisk until well-blended.
6. Place the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes, until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Stir in the bananas. Set aside.
7. In a medium bowl and with an electric mixer and perfectly clean beaters,
beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar, beating until glossy, stiff peaks form.
8. Pour the warm pudding with bananas into the crust. Spoon the egg white topping over the filling, spreading to the edge of the pie to meet the crust and to seal the filling completely.
9. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Transfer pie to rack to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tip:
In a pinch, you can substitute a store-bought graham cracker or other cookie crumb pie crust for homemade and skip the pre-baking in step 2.
Serves 8
Excerpted from B is for Baking © 2011. Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Photographs courtesy of Lucy Schaeffer.
Browse the Grandparents.com Recipe section for more delicious desserts, like Vanilla Pudding Cake.
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