Banner Banana Cream Pie

Sweet Cookie Tart Crust (this crust will really shrink and needs to have pastry weights to hold it in place while it bakes):
8 T. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ c. sugar
1 ½ c. flour
1/8 t. salt
1 large egg yolk
2 T. heavy cream
White chocolate

Pastry Cream:
2 large eggs
3 T. cornstarch
2 c. half-and-half
½ c. sugar
2-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
pinch of salt
1 T.. unsalted butter

2 T. fresh orange juice
1 T. fresh lemon juice
6 ripe but firm medium bananas
2 c. heavy cream
2 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla
White chocolate, garnished into curls.
1 ½ c. pastry cream

For Sweet Cookie Tart Crust you can make this in a food processor):
Stir together sugar, flour, and salt. With a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter. Mix the yolk and the cream together. Mix into the flour mixture until the dough comes together and can be formed into a ball. Flatten it into a 6-inch disc. Wrap the dough well and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or freeze for 10) until firm enough to pat into the pan or roll. Roll out dough and place into pie pan. Cover with parchment and fill with baking weights (unbaked beans work well). Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. When the dough starts to puff in places, prick it lightly with a fork, then lower the heat to 375 and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until set. Lift out the weights with the parchment, prick lightly, and continue baking 10-15 minutes more. When crust has cooled, coat with a layer of melted white chocolate.

For Pastry Cream:
1) Have a strainer set over a small bowl near the range.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cornstarch. Gradually add ¼ cup of the half-and-half, whisking until the mixture is smooth and the cornstarch is dissolved.
3) In a medium heavy non-reactive saucepan, place the sugar and vanilla bean and, using your fingers, rub the seeds into the sugar. Stir in the remaining 1 ¾ c. of the half-and-half and the salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Whisk 2 T of this hot mixture into the egg mixture. Pass the egg mixture through a strainer into a small bowl.
Bring the half-and-half mixture back to a boil over medium heat. Remove the vanilla pod. Quickly add all of the egg mixture, whisking rapidly. Continue whisking rapidly for about 20-30 seconds, being sure to go into the bottom edge of the pan. The mixture will become very tick. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the butter. (If not using the vanilla bean, whisk in 1 t vanilla at this point). Immediately pour the mixture into a bowl and place a piece of greased plastic wrap directly on top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until cold.

For the Pie:
1) In a medium bowl, place the orange and lemon juices. Peel and slice the bananas ½ inch thick. You will have almost 4 cups. Add them to the juices and toss lightly to coat them.
2) In a chilled bowl, combine the heavy cream, optional cobasan, and sugar and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Add the vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
Remove ¼ of the whipped cream and fold it into the cold pastry cream mixture. Add the bananas and scrape the mixture into the prepared pie shell.
3) Mound the remaining whipped cream on the surface of the pie. Gently place the chocolate curls on the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

from Pie and Pastry Bible