Hello Summer! Hazelnut Banana Cream Pie
May 16, 2009 | By
I’ve often felt that the best year-round desserts are made with bananas. They are always in plentiful supply, easy to ripen up, nutritious in content, and deliciously fat-free. Banana cream pies make comforting desserts any time of year, but especially in the summer when their silky smoothness slide down parched throats with ease.
I thought it might be fun to experiment with a variation on a black-bottom banana cream pie, but with melted chocolate-hazelnut instead of plain chocolate. Nutella spread adds an interesting "hmm, what is that" flavor to classic treat.
Ingredients:
cooking spray
24 graham cracker squares (12 full sheets, or 48 rectangles)
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons boiling water
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 medium bananas
1 cup Nutella
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until finely ground. Add 4 tablespoons of butter plus 2 tablespoons of water, and process until the crumbs clumps together. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Press crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the pie plate and approximately 1/2 an inch up the sides. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, and set aside and allow to cool.
Put the gelatin in a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1/3 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the milk and eggs together. Add the egg and milk mixture gradually to the saucepan and whisk steadily until the flour and sugar dissolve. Cook the mixture over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, or until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened. Do NOT step away from the stove! Stir in 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and reserved gelatin. Set aside to cool slightly.
Melt 1 cup of hazelnut chocolate spread by microwaving on high for 30 second intervals until melted, stirring in between heating. Stir in approximately 2 tablespoons of cream, and pour the mixture evenly onto the cooled graham cracker crust. Slice the bananas and arrange them on the hazelnut spread, then pour the custard on top. Place pie the refrigerator until the pudding has set, at least 3 hours.
The texture of the pie is wonderfully creamy and smooth, and the hazelnut-chocolate-banana combination is a delicious surprise. I like the simplicity of this pie and prefer to serve it unembellished, but you may certainly add whipped cream, more sliced bananas, or crushed nuts to the top if you like.
Fun Facts to Make You Go Bananas!
--The banana was first mentioned in Buddhist texts from the 6th Century.
--The word “banana” comes from an Arabic word meaning “finger.”
--The banana first came to America in 1876, when colonials paid 10 cents to taste the foil-wrapped fruits during a centennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence.
--Enthusiastic fan of banana cream pie: Elvis
--Nutella was invented in Italy in 1946, and made its first appearance in the U.S. in 1983.
--Nutella has no artificial flavors or colors, and outsells all brands of peanut butter combined worldwide.
--In a pinch, I have been known to occasionally eat Nutella out of the jar with a spoon. (Shhh!)
Recommended Reading:
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Best Chocolate Cake Ever! And It’s Vegan Too
Cake in a Bowl
Photos courtesy of Mimi Guethe.
<--- Go back to the Just for Fun department for more crafty fun!
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Mimi Guethe is a writer, crafter, and former film publicist who lives with her husband and three cats in Los Angeles, CA. Her work has appeared in numerous publications across the country, including The Washington Post and Publishers Weekly magazine. She spends her days dreaming of living by the sea.
Visit Mimi online at the happy honeybee to see her handmade plushies, embroidery, and more. For the most up to date information, feel free to visit her on Twitter at @JustForFunHMN or @mimiguethe.
You may also view this complete list of all Handmade News articles by Mimi Guethe.
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Mimi Guethe isn’t afraid to admit it: her children’s books outnumber her grown-up ones, she has an unfortunate weakness for her own killer fried chicken recipe, and she learns something new everyday on the Handmade News site. Please visit her online at the happy honeybee.
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