Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

If you want to taste the best banana cream pie ever, try this recipe. I imagine this is how the pioneers made banana cream pie. Before Cool Whip, and instant pudding mix. The recipe actually uses flour as the thickener. I was somewhat worried about getting lumps but it turned out perfect. Deliciously divine. Superbly creamy. I have never tasted better banana cream pie.

It is slightly more difficult than using a boxed mix, but definitely worth it. Give it a try! Sorry no picture. :-(

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:
1 9-inch pie shell, baked
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 bananas

Directions:
1. Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready.

2. Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir into the milk.

3. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened. Cook for two minutes longer. [The mixture will not be as thick as pudding yet, will thicken more when egg yolks are added.]

4. In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; temper the egg yolks by stirring a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.

5. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.

6. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.

7. Let sit until lukewarm.

8. When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas. [We tossed our sliced bananas in a couple splashes of lemon juice to prevent browning before placing in baked pie crust.]

9. If desired, make a meringue (you'll have 3 leftover egg whites) to top the pie, or just let the pie cool until serving. [Meringue: 3 egg whites, 1/3 cup sugar, pinch of cream of tartar(optional); beat until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of pie, bake in 375° oven 10 to 12 minutes until peaks turn golden brown.]

* For coconut cream pie add one cup shredded coconut to milk as it’s being heated, omit bananas.

** Do not substitute low-fat milk for whole milk. I'm told that it will be soupy if you do.(we didn’t have whole milk so we used 3 cups half-and-half and 3 cups skim milk, we doubled the recipe.) It turned out perfect.

*** Variation: For those of you who are pie crust challenged :-), make a simple Graham cracker crust, or use premade pie shells.