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This recipe leapt from the pages of Bon Appetit's grievously caloric spread on "Diner Desserts" and grabbed me by the tastebuds (every one of them). Knowing how much I was sure to love it, and also painfully aware of my nonexistent will power, I took to downsizing immediately.
With every bite of this delicious dessert, David and I marveled at how perfect it was. The crust is sweet and crunchy like toffee; the vanilla pudding is perfectly balanced; and the final layer is like eating peanut butter-flavored air. Fluffy, delicious, peanutbuttery air. May just have to make it again tomorrow.
Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie
(Serves 2; total prep/cook/cool time, about 2 hours)
Vanilla Wafer Crust
1 1/2 oz vanilla wafers (about 8)
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp sugar
Vanilla Pudding Layer
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
pinch salt
1/4 c heavy cream
2 Tbsp whole milk
1/2 egg yolk
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1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter
1 banana
lemon or orange juice (just for tossing banana)
Peanut Butter Layer
3/4 oz cream cheese, room temp
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp heavy cream
- For the crust, either throw everything in the food processor and blend until uniform or smash wafers and sugar in a ziplock bag until fine, then melt the butter and stir together. Press into 2 individual tart pans, large muffin tins, or a mini pie plate. Bake at 350ยบ for 10-12 minutes. Cool.
- For the pudding, in a small saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add dairy and yolk and mix all very well. [Sorry about the yolk, there's no shortcut around this, you need the egg to thicken the pudding. Just crack an egg over a dish to catch the white and then split the yolk in half. Have the white-and-half-yolk for breakfast tomorrow.] Over medium heat, cook the mixture--stirring constantly--until it boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla and divide between cooled crusts. Chill 30 min - 1 hr (until set).
- Take the banana and slice it thin, about 1/4-inch slices. Toss in orange or lemon juice to prevent browning. Once the pudding is set, lay out bananas over surface, reserving a few for garnish, if you want.
- For the peanut butter layer, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar until well mixed. Add vanilla and peanut butter and blend some more. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Fold it into the peanut butter mixture, a little at a time, being very gentle. Spread over banana layer and return to fridge for another hour or two, until fully chilled and set up.
- Garnish with reserved bananas and eat, eat, eat.
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As usual, some notes....
I used individual miniature tart pans, but maybe you'd rather use muffin/cupcake tins. The only way this pie could have been improved is if I had made them deep rather than wide. The tins might be tricky when it comes time to extricate, though. Also, you could probably get away with less-than-full-fat milks in the pudding, but you may want to up the cornstarch if you do.
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