Banana Cream Pie with That Skinny Chick Can Bake

We made it to Colorado!  It was so nice to know that the long drive was just one way this time. Unfortunately our stuff did not arrive as planned.  The driver who was going to drive the truck out "is no longer with the company".  So now, today is the day everything should arrive.  Not sure how much longer I can live without furniture, and almost no kitchen supplies. 

Today I am bringing you another great blogger!  Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake was one of the first people I met when I started blogging.  She makes the most amazing desserts, but then also is an excellent cook.  I have made numerous recipes of hers, and they are always delicious!

So....I give you Liz



I was delighted when Erin asked me to guest post for her this week.  I met sweet Erin when she was just a fledgling blogger...but she didn't seem like a newbie to me back then. Her talent was obvious from day one.  So I wanted to make a special dessert to be featured...and one of my hubby's favorite pies came to mind...banana cream.

I turned to a Cook's Illustrated recipe for inspiration.  That magazine rarely steers me wrong.  Their vanilla custard is just incredible...in fact, I spent so much time scraping samples from the bottom of the saucepan, that I hardly wanted dinner.  Sliced bananas are sandwich between two layers of the creamy custard, then the pie is topped with a cloud of sweetened whipped cream. Hubby, Bill, took one bite and declared it amazing. I think you will agree.

Erin, I hope you're getting settled in your new home, and I know we're all looking forward to the fabulous dishes you will be cooking up in your new kitchen.



Banana Cream Pie...adapted from The Best Recipe

1 baked and cooled pastry shell (I used Martha Stewart's Páte Brisée)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks, beaten slightly
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cognac
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 bananas, peeled and sliced just before placing over filling.

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan.  Add yolks and whisk to combine.  Slowly add milk and cream, whisking till combined.  Add vanilla bean and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly till mixture starts to thicken and simmer.  Cook for an additional minute, then remove from heat.  Whisk in butter, cognac and vanilla.  Remove vanilla bean.

Cover top of filling with plastic wrap and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.  When cooled to warm, spread about half the filling into the pie shell.  Top with sliced bananas, and spread the remaining filling over the bananas.  Cover filling with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours.

To finish, beat cream with sugar and vanilla till soft peaks form.  Beat slightly longer to almost stiff peaks.  Spread over filling and garnish with banana slices before serving if desired.

Key Lime Pie

This weekend while our son was at his Grandparents we got to go out for dinner with friends!  Somewhat of a luxury for us.  So instead of ordering dessert at the restaurant, I made dessert so they could come back to our house and hang out for a little while.  The guys work together, and through the grape vine I heard that it was suggested by one of them that I find a way to make Key Lime Pie so my husband could bring it into work.  So instead of making mini pies, I decided I would just make it for the guys this weekend in the full pie form.  I even spoiled them with homemade whipped cream!  I must admit, this was only because I was out of the squirty kind from a bottle :)  Or as that is known in my house growing up "Squirty Cream". 

Key Lime Pie is super easy to make.  You have the Graham Cracker Crust, and then the filling of the pie is 3 ingredients!  You really can't get much simpler.  Now, I know that there is some debate...to meringue or not to meringue.  Well I have never meringued on a Key Lime Pie, so I didn't start this time.  The idea does intrigue me though, so maybe sometime I will try it. 

I have no idea where this recipe is from.  It is just jotted down on a post it, in my recipe box.  I know I have been making it for at least 7 years, but I don't know how I got it in the beginning.  


Key Lime Pie
Printable Recipe

1 Graham Cracker Crust (recipe to follow)
1 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Key Lime Juice
3 egg yolks

Blend everything until smooth.  Pour into crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes, then refrigerate.  To serve, top with whipped cream.


Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix sugar with cracker crumbs.  Stir in the melted butter.  Pour into pie plate, and press firmly against the sides.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Cool slightly. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Pie

Remember back when I made Pistachio Ice Cream?  I promised more recipes with the goodies that Oh! Nuts had sent me.  Well I think it is time to share this delicious pie that I made with the Hazelnuts and Almond Flour.  This recipe was adapted from Giada.  I love her, we are on a first name basis :)  Anyway, I saw her make this years ago, and printed the recipe right away. I have just never had Hazelnuts around to try making it.  So that was first on my list when OH! Nuts contacted me.

I didn't really have a reason to make this when I did, so we called our neighbors over at 3:00 in the afternoon for dessert.  It was a hit.  My friend absolutely loves hazelnuts, she could probably live off Nutella alone.  So I thought of her right away when I made this.  So glad they liked it!

Note - the original recipe uses all purpose flour, I just wanted to try my almond flour.

Chocolate Hazelnut Pie
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Printable Recipe

Pie:
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup hazelnuts toasted
1/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup hot water
4 eggs
1 stick butter, cut into 3/4-inch pieces, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat to 350 degrees F.

 

Put 1/2 of the chocolate chips, hazelnuts, and flour in the food processor. Pulse until the hazelnuts are coarsely chopped. Pour the nut mixture into a small bowl and set aside.



Combine remaining chocolate chips and sugar in the food processor. Blend until the mixture is finely ground. With the machine running, gradually add the hot water until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, butter, vanilla. Pulse until mixture is blended.



Return the hazelnut mixture to the food processor and pulse to incorporate. Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured 9-inch pie dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour in a cooling rack.  Refrigerate for 2 hours. Allow the pie to return to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

While the pie is cooling you can make the cream.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar, and vanilla. Continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks.

Serve each slice with a dollop of Whipped Cream!

Pies, Pies, Pies

I found these Thin Mint Pies on Lick The Bowl Good, and they are awesome! I made them last week for a business dinner my husband had at our house. They went over very well, so I am making them again! My son has his first ever music program at school tonight. He has a speaking part!! Both sets of grandparents are coming to watch the program. This means I have to have dinner and everything for 7 people and be out the door by 6pm to get to school. These little pies seem perfect! I used up my Girl Scout cookies last week, but I found Keebler makes a Grasshopper cookie, that looks and tastes like a Thin Mint - so you can make this pie year around!

Creamy Thin Mint Pies
Makes 1 - 9 inch pie, or 10 mini pies
2 packed cups chocolate cookie crumbs
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1-8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream (makes 2 cups whipped cream)
1 tsp mint extract
Pinch of Salt
1 sleeve Girl Scout Thin Mints (16 cookies, divided)


I used a food processor to make quick work of the Oreo's. Mix the melted butter with the cookie crumbs, and press into the pie plate. Put it in the fridge while you make the filling. You could easily use a store bought crust for this. I could not find the mini pre-made crusts anywhere around here. I like the idea of individual desserts, and they are just so cute! I also could not find the disposable mini pie tins either. So I raided my cabinets and came up with enough small dishes to make individual pies.



To make the filling take 11 Thin Mints and break them up. I put them in a plastic bag, and took a frying pan to it. Helped with some frustration as well :) You still want them in big chunks, not crumbs. Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until it becomes fluffy.


Put the whipped cream in a separate bowl. Beat the cream cheese, mint extract, pinch of salt and the sugar together until it becomes creamy. Fold together the cream cheese and the whipped cream. Then gently stir in the cookie pieces. Scoop into the pie crust. Top with the remaining cookies, cut in half.

I had problems cutting the cookies in half, so I just used the whole cookie. Didn't figure I would get any complaints by my tasters.

If you look closely you will notice one of these things is not like the other. My mom is not a big fan of mint, so I stirred in crushed up Oreo's, and topped with an Oreo. I am hoping it will be equally delicious.

Store these in the fridge overnight. They get more minty the longer the sit.