BANANA CREAM PEANUT BUTTER PIE WITH CORNFLAKE CRUST

makes one 9” pie
 
Cornflake/Peanut Butter Crust
 
3 cups cornflakes, processed in food processor until consistency of medium-fine crumbs
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
pinch salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
 
Lightly butter a 9” pie plate. In a large bowl, combine cornflake crumbs, brown sugar, salt, butter and peanut butter. Mix thoroughly; if it doesn’t hold together when you pinch a bit between your fingers, add an additional tablespoon or two of cornflake crumbs. If it feels too dry, add the slightest bit of additional melted butter. Press the crumb mixture along the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate. Chill for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the pie crust for 8 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool while you prepare the filling.
 
Filling-
 
4 large egg yolks
⅓ cup cornstarch
2 cups whole milk, divided (1½ cups is heated, ½ cup is whisked with yolks and cornstarch)
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium ripe bananas
¼ cup heavy cream (this will be whipped and folded into the custard)
 
Garnish-

​½ cup heavy cream whipped and lightly sweetened with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
banana slices to garnish
 
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and ½ cup cold milk. Set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the remaining 1½ cups milk, 1 cup heavy cream, sugar and salt. Warm the mixture over low heat until hot but not boiling. Add a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk/cornstarch/cold milk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue gradually adding the hot cream mixture, whisking, until all of it has been added to the yolks. Pour this back into the saucepan and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the custard, constantly whisking the mixture and getting into the corners of the saucepan, for about 8-10 minutes until it is thick and just begins to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, simmering the custard for about 5 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, peanut butter and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to gently combine the pastry cream thoroughly with the peanut butter. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Place the bowl of pastry cream over an ice bath to expedite cooling.  When the custard has cooled, whip the ¼ cup of heavy cream until soft peaks have formed. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard.
 
Slice the bananas, placing them over the cooled pie crust. Spread the custard evenly over the bananas. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with additional lightly sweetened whipped cream and banana slices. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.