Page 134 - United States of Pie

Banana Cream Pie

Though bananas are not native to the United States—the fruit was
first imported to the States in the mid-nineteenth century—banana
cream pie is now a classic of Southern cuisine. Southerners love
their sweet pies, and banana cream pie is no exception. Usually the
filling is simply vanilla pudding layered with sliced bananas and

topped with mounds of whipped cream. While this combination is
delicious in its own right, there are times when it gets excessive. My
take on this classic, though hardly austere, is more about balanced
composition than sweetness. This dessert is not so much a pie as it
is a layering of tastes and textures.
The crust is a crumbly shell of vanilla wafers with just a hint of salt,
which is then topped with a thin layer of semisweet chocolate

ganache. The chocolate is rich and dark, a somber note in the pie.
Next comes the star of the show—the bananas—sandwiched under
a cumulus cloud of vanilla pudding. After this has been thoroughly
chilled comes the layer of whipped cream. It is important that the
cream be whipped sans sweetener; it offers a neutral ballast to the
pie’s airy sweetness. You can shave a bit of chocolate over this pie

before serving it, as a suggestion of what it contains. Some might
say that this is gilding the lily, but I say, gild away!

1 Vanilla Wafer Crust

For the ganache
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 /3 cup heavy cream
For the filling
2 cups whole milk