Banana Cream Pie

1. Stage

Make the pudding: Whisk the milk, cream, cornstarch, eggs, yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a 2-quart saucepan until the mixture is well combined. Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk the mixture constantly until thick and a few bubbles rise to the surface of the pudding, about 10 minutes. Resist the urge to increase the heat, as it could break the pudding. The pudding should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without running back together when you run your finger through it.

2. Stage

Cool the pudding: Spread the pudding into a large shallow dish (like a 9x13-inch pan) and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding. Cool for 20 minutes on a rack before placing in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. You can do this step 1 or 2 days in advance.

3. Stage

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. Stage

Make the crust: While the pudding cools and chills, make the crust. Add the vanilla wafers to your food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Place the crumbs into a bowl and stir in the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Press the crumbs firmly into the pie plate, using something with a flat bottom (like a measuring cup) to compact the crumbs. Bake the crust in the oven for 15 minutes and cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

5. Stage

Assemble the pie and let it chill: Peel two bananas and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds. Remove the chilled pudding from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap (but save it for later). Give the pudding a stir until creamy and spoon half into the bottom of the baked pie crust. Place the banana slices in a single layer on top of the pudding. Spread the remaining pudding over the bananas and smooth the top. Press the plastic wrap you saved directly onto the surface and chill for 6 hours or overnight.

6. Stage

Make the stabilized whipped cream: In a small bowl add cold water and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let the gelatin “bloom” or absorb the water, there should not be any dry bits after 5 minutes or so. Place the dish in the microwave and cook for 15 seconds at a time until just melted (about 30 seconds). Watch the gelatin as it will expand and could bubble up over the bowl. Let the gelatin cool slightly just for a minute or two while the cream whips. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a bowl using a hand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream while adding the powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until the cream is foamy and just beginning to thicken. With the mixer still running, slowly drizzle the melted gelatin into the cream until fully incorporated. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks are reached.

7. Stage

Decorate and serve the pie: Load the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe swirls around the pie. Top the swirls with slices of banana. Serve the pie immediately, or if you want to make it up to 24 hours in advance, go ahead and pipe the swirls on but wait to decorate with bananas until just before serving.