Banana Cream Tart

A delicious take on the classic banana cream pie, this time served in a tart and topped with fun toppings likes a Banoffee Pie.

Here’s one of those quintessential American desserts that we’ve all heard about – Banana Cream Pie. It’s not something we tend to see here in New Zealand, though we are quite partial to its cousin, Banoffee Pie with its combination of bananas and caramel.

So, this was a first for my family and boy oh boy, did we love it! Big brother said he’d happily have it every second week! And, the great thing about Banana Cream Pie is that you can literally do that, given bananas are always available. We loved the combination of crunchy shortbread crust, thick vanilla pastry cream, fresh bananas and billowing whipped cream, And, I couldn’t resist scattering a crushed Crunchie bar (chocolate covered hokey pokey bars) on top for a bit of pizzazz.

I wanted to ensure the pie was authentic, so I borrowed the recipe from one of my favourite American baking sources – Joy of Baking. I was initially a little hesitant to use a shortbread crust, thinking it would be too sweet, but I was totally wrong. In fact, we were all surprised to find the pie wasn’t really sweet at all so, as it turns out, the Crunchie bar on top was a good call!

I do have a couple of notes to make regarding the recipe. There only seemed to be enough pastry dough to just cover an 8 inch shallow tart pan, so you may want to increase the amount you make if you want a deeper or wider crust. I found the same thing with the pastry cream – there didn’t seem to be very much of it. As it happened, I found the pastry cream to be way too thick anyway, so I thinned it down with an extra half cup or so of milk while it was cooking which gave me that extra bit of filling. Again, if you have a deep tart pan, you might consider increasing the pastry cream component.

Even though there are a few steps to making this delicious pie, each step is a doddle and you really can’t go wrong. It doesn’t take too long to make either, especially if you make the crust the day ahead as I did. All I did on the day I served it was make the custard, slice up some bananas and whip the cream. Easy peasy.

Given how well this show-stopper of an all-American dessert went down, I’ll definitely be making it again and I have no hesitation in recommending it to those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of sampling it. Enjoy!

Click here for the shortbread crust recipe.

Banana Cream Tart

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• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: One 8-inch tart (8 servings) 1x

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Description

This Banana Cream Tart features a crunchy shortbread crust filled with rich vanilla pastry cream, fresh bananas, and a topping of whipped cream, finished with a sprinkle of crushed Crunchie bar for added flair.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (35 g) confectioners' (powdered) sugar, sifted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g / 1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

Pastry Cream

• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk (author used 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste)
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons (20 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (20 g) cornstarch
• 2-3 large bananas, peeled and sliced

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (35-40% butterfat)
• 1-2 tablespoons (10-20 g) icing sugar (confectioners' sugar), to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To assemble

• Crushed honeycomb confectionery, shaved chocolate, or extra banana slices

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Instructions

Shortbread Crust

1. Pulse the flour, powdered sugar, and salt together in a food processor. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
2. Add cold water one teaspoon at a time, pulsing, until the dough just comes together when pressed. Do not overwork it.
3. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick the base all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the chilled crust for 18–22 minutes until pale golden. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

Pastry Cream

1. Add the milk and vanilla bean (seeds and pod) to a medium saucepan and heat over moderate heat to scalding point (just before boiling).
2. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch until you have a smooth, thick paste.
3. Remove the milk from heat and discard the vanilla pod. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. (Strain through a sieve if any bits of cooked egg appear.)
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until boiling and very thick, about 5 minutes. Boil for another 30–60 seconds to cook out the cornstarch. (The mixture will be very thick — add an extra splash of milk if needed to thin slightly.)
5. Pour into a clean bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until needed. Give it a brisk whisk before using.

Whipped Cream

1. Beat the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla extract together until soft peaks form — you want it softly billowing, not stiff.

Assemble

1. Spread the pastry cream evenly over the cooled crust. Top with sliced bananas (a light spritz of lemon juice keeps them from browning).
2. Spread the whipped cream over the bananas. Scatter crushed confectionery, shaved chocolate, or more banana slices on top.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill before serving.

Notes

The pastry cream will be very thick — if it seizes up before you can spread it, a quick whisk with a splash of cold milk loosens it right up. Make the crust a day ahead if you like; just cover tightly and refrigerate. Add the bananas and whipped cream the day you plan to serve it so everything stays fresh.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 30
• Sodium: 150
• Fat: 18
• Carbohydrates: 45
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 5
• Cholesterol: 120

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