FILLING
1 1/4 c Milk
2 lg Egg yolks
1 lg Whole egg
3 tb Cornstarch
3 tb Firmly packed brown sugar
2 tb Unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 ts Unflavored gelatin
3 tb Cold water
2/3 c Granulated sugar
1 1/3 c Heavy cream
2 ts Vanilla
2 tb Scotch (up to 3)
1/4 ts Salt
3 Firm-ripe bananas
-DOUGH-
1 1/4 c All-purpose flour
3/4 Stick (6 tablespoons) cold
-unsalted butter, cut into
-bits
2 tb Cold vegetable shortening
1/4 ts Salt
2 tb Ice water (up to 4)
Make pastry dough: In a bowl with a pastry blender or in a food
processor blend or pulse together flour, butter, shortening, and salt
until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and
toss with a fork or pulse until water is incorporated. Add enough
remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing or pulsing to
incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough. On a work surface
smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly
develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Form
dough into a ball and flatten to form a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in
plastic wrap, 1 hour. Makes enough dough for a single-crust 9- to
10-inch pie.
Make pie: On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into an 11-inch
round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 9-inch (1-quart) metal
pie plate, crimping edge decoratively. Prick shell all over with a
fork and chill 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375?F. Line shell with
foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake shell in middle of oven
15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and pie weights or beans and bake
shell 5 minutes more, or until pale golden. Cool shell on a rack. In
a large heavy saucepan bring milk just to a boil and remove pan from
heat. In a large heatproof bowl whisk together yolks, whole egg,
cornstarch, and brown sugar until combined well. Gradually whisk in
hot milk and pour mixture into pan. Cook mixture over moderately high
heat, whisking constantly, until it just comes to a boil and is
thickened. Remove pastry cream from heat and, scraping with a
spatula, force through a fine sieve set over another large heatproof
bowl. Whisk in butter until incorporated. In a very small saucepan
sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften.
Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Stir
gelatin mixture into pastry cream and cool. In a dry heavy saucepan
cook granulated sugar over moderate heat, without stirring, until it
begins to melt. Continue cooking sugar, stirring with a fork, until
melted and swirl pan until caramel is a deep golden. Remove pan from
heat and carefully add 1/3 cup heavy cream down side of pan (caramel
will bubble up and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring,
until caramel is dissolved. Stir in vanilla, Scotch, and salt until
combined and cool sauce. Stir sauce into pastry cream until combined
well. In a bowl beat 1/2 cup remaining heavy cream until it just
holds stiff peaks and fold into pastry cream. Cut 2 bananas into
1/4-inch slices and fold into pastry cream. Pour filling into shell
and chill, covered loosely, 4 hours or overnight. Beat remaining 1/2
cup heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks and spread on pie.
Cut remaining banana into 1/4-inch slices and arrange decoratively on
pie.
Yields
1 Pie