Top Secret Recipes Step-by-Step by Todd Wilbur

Author:Todd Wilbur
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

MARIE CALLENDER’S BANANA CREAM PIE

Improved Hack

Active Prep: 30 min.

Inactive Prep: 5 hrs. 45 min.

Difficulty: Medium

Yield: 8 slices

The knockoff for this restaurant chain’s number one best-selling pie just got better. Marie Callender’s amazing pies start with a fantastic crust—it’s thick, it’s flaky, it’s tender, and it perfectly complements the sweet, creamy filling. That is why for this re-hack I spent most of the time perfecting the shell. Once that was complete, I moved on to the filling, which, after much trial and error, better fills the shell and holds its shape better when sliced with the addition of gelatin to the formula (and there’s now a little gelatin in the whipped cream to stabilize it as well). I also discovered that it is best to use the disposable 8¾-inch foil pie pans found in most supermarkets rather than the more common 9-inch glass or metal pans, which are slightly too big to make a decent clone. Add in a few other tweaks, such as more banana and the addition of toasted sliced almonds, and you will have before you the best-ever banana cream pie with the best piecrust recipe I’ve had the pleasure to hack. I should mention that to properly bake a nice-looking pie shell without any bubbling or warping, you will need some piecrust weights or a 1-pound bag of dried beans to pour into the crust before baking.

CRUST

12 ounces (2½ cups) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon salt

¾ cup cold shortening

¼ cup (½ stick) cold unsalted butter

¼ cup very cold water

1 egg yolk, beaten

WHIPPED CREAM

½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin

2 teaspoons water

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING

4 ounces (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar

1 ounce (¼ cup) cornstarch

1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin

¼ teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

4 egg yolks, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 medium bananas (or 2 large bananas), sliced

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

Piecrust weights or 1 pound dry beans

A pastry bag

Make the dough for the crust by combining the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the cold shortening and butter into the dry ingredients until the texture is crumbly and only small pea-size bits of butter and shortening remain.

Combine the cold water and egg yolk in a small bowl. Add this to the crust mixture and work it in with a large mixing spoon until the dough comes together. Use your hands to form the dough into a 6-inch-wide disk, but take care not to overwork the dough or your crust might become too tough. Wrap the dough in plastic, and place it in your refrigerator for 1 hour, or for up to 2 days.

Make the whipped cream by combining the gelatin with the water in a small bowl. Quickly add it to the heavy cream along with the sugar and vanilla and beat the mixture just until the cream forms stiff peaks, then cover and chill it until later.

When you’re ready to make the piecrust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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