Get your tastebuds ready to celebrate! March 14 marks Pi Day, and what better way to enjoy it than with a pie? Us Weekly spoke to Top Chef season 4 champ Stephanie Izard to get a recipe for banana cream pie that will be perfect for the occasion. And in case you’re short on baking materials, the chef’s tips will actually have you using what you likely already have in your kitchen.
“I’ve done the math and the perfect way to celebrate Pi Day is with a big piece of banana cream pie,” she tells Us. “In line with my Erase Food Waste work with Morton Salt, this recipe uses ingredients that typically wind up in the kitchen garbage: overripe bananas and stale bread. It all ads up to a delicious day, no matter how you slice it.”
Pi Day Banana Cream Pie
Cooking time: 2 hours, 30 min
Serves 6 to 8 people
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole milk (can substitute in a milk with lower fat content)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks (Erase Food Waste tip: save egg whites for a healthy omelet; they can stay in the refrigerator for up to five days)
- 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp Morton Extra Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 very ripe bananas
- Bread crust (recipe below)
- Whipped cream (recipe below)
Bread Crust:
- 5 slices stale bread
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp Morton Fine Sea Salt
Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp Morton Fine Sea Salt
Instructions:
For Bread Crust:
- Toast bread to a dried, crusty texture, either in a toaster on the light setting several times or in oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Let the bread cool completely.
- Using a food processor, add all crust ingredients and buzz until a thick, sandy texture forms. If using a mixer, crumble bread into small pieces, no bigger than 1 inch. Break up in mixer. Add all crust ingredients and mix until sandy texture forms.
- Press into a pie pan.
- Top with parchment paper and weigh down with another pie pan or dried beans. This will help the crust bake without falling down.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until dark golden brown and beginning to harden.
- Remove crust from oven, remove parchment and allow to cool completely.
For Whipped Cream:
- Add cream, powdered sugar and salt to a chilled metal bowl.
- Whisk rapidly until stiff peaks form.
- Keep cold until ready to serve.
For Pie:
- Using a whisk attachment on a mixer or by hand, whip whole eggs, egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1/2 cup of sugar for about 5 minutes, until thick enough that the mixture forms a ribbon-like pattern as it falls from the whisk.
- In a small sauce pot, bring milk, heavy cream, 14/ cup sugar, salt and vanilla extract to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add half the hot liquid to the egg mixture and whisk to incorporate.
- Add all egg mix back to the pot of remaining liquids.
- Whisking constantly, bring entire mixture to a light boil. It will firm up very quickly.
- Once thickened, lower heat and keep whisking for 2 minutes.
- Remove from stove to a bowl. Cover with plastic and chill in refrigerator until fully cooled.
- While custard mixture cools, mash bananas to a semi-smooth puree.
- Add chilled custard and bananas to a food processor or whip with a whisk until fully incorporated and fluffy.
- Add banana custard mix to pie crust and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Top with whipped cream and serve!
