Few persons can resist the old-time lusciousness of a satiny cream pie – that is, the genuine example, with a crisp crust supporting & contrasting the smooth, richly flavoured filling. Cream pies are something of a contraction: they’re a bona fide type of “comfort food,” but they’re also truly luxurious desserts. If you feel a pang of guilt about the dairy richness of that fat content, then I can only suggest that you consume a smaller portion.
There are a few guidelines to turning out an ideally unctuous custard and airy, whipped cream: The custard filling for cream pies is traditionally thickened with cornstarch in order to stabilize it better than one made with eggs alone. The cornstarch should always be slaked in cold liquid – hot fluids would cause it to lump. It is added to eggs and should be in a glass or stainless steel bowl. The hot mixture is gradually poured into the egg-&-cornstarch mixture, rather than the reverse, so as to prevent curdling. When the custard has finished cooking, it should be strained to remove any cornstarch lumps. (The choriazae need to be removed from the eggs after they’re cracked.) Then the custard should be cooled with plastic wrap or parchment place directly on the surface to prevent a skin forming.
Here is a straightforward Banana Cream Pie that’s been consistently dependable in my work:
1 pastry shell, baked
16 fl. oz. homogenized milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 large egg yolks
8 fl. oz. cream (10% m.f.)
6 Tbsp cornstarch
½ oz. butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 fl. oz. heavy cream
1 Tbsp sugar
2 ripe, but firm bananas (I always buy organic bananas)
Crystallized ginger, for garnish
Rinse out medium saucepan with purified water, the add milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to simmer over med. heat, and cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves.
Beat egg yolks with coffee cream and cornstarch. Pour some of the hot milk mixture into egg-yolk mixture to temper it, then return all to saucepan. Return to low heat (or place over barely simmering water in bain marie). Stir constantly until mixture bubbles & thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat, stir in softened butter, strain into a bowl. Cover & cool to room temp. Using chilled wire whip & steel bowl set over large bowl containing ice, beat heavy cream with sugar until firm peaks form. Spread one-third of the custard over pie shell. Slice one banana over top of the custard and then cover with half of remaining custard. Slice the other banana over the custard, reserving one-quarter of it for garnish. Top with remaining custard & whipped cream. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Decorate with reserved, sliced banana & chopped crystallized ginger.
Beverage suggestion: I like to drink Darjeeling tea with cream/custard desserts.