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Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!
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I am back from vacation and instead of enjoying beautiful Lake Michigan views like the photo below, I am back to work looking at piles of work on my desk. Vacations are never long enough, are they?
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I didn't do any cooking on vacation last week, but on Father's Day I made my Dad one of his favorites: Banana Cream Pie. I have been making this pie since I was a teenager, first from my Mom's trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, and now from my own copy. .
{ I searched for a link to the recipe online but I could not find it }
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Ingredients for pie filling:
- 3 medium bananas, sliced
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2-1/2 cups half-and-half, light cream or milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
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Ingredients for graham cracker crust:
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1-1/4 cup crushed graham crackers (about 18)
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Ingredients for meringue:
.- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 tablespoons sugar
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1. Prepare graham cracker crust: melt butter; stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers; toss to mix well. Spread evenly into 9" pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form an even crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes or until edge is slightly brown.
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2. Separate egg yolks from whites; set aside 3 of whites for meringue.
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3. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Cook two minutes more. Remove from heat. Slightly beat egg yolks with a fork. Gradually stir in about 1 cup of the hot filling into the yolks.
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4. Add egg mixture to the filling in saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for two minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and butter. Cover filling and set aside.
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5. Slice bananas and arrange over bottom of pie crust.
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6. Prepare meringue: Egg whites should have sat out at room temperature for 30 minutes before using for meringue. In a large mixing bowl combine egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until soft peaks form (tips will curl). Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 4 minutes more or until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks (tips will stand straight up; test with a fork).
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7. Pour filling into pie plate over bananas.
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8. Spread meringue over filling. Make sure to seal edges of meringue to pie plate. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Chill 3 to 6 hours before serving.
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What did you cook this week?
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