Recipes & Tips Blog

I have been huiming the theme song to Gilligan’s Island for days now. I know MaryAnn made coconut cream pies, but banana cream pie is apparently close enough for my brain to be fixated on the tune.

I don’t recall that I have ever made a banana cream pie before this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie baking assignment. It was delicious because it wasn’t overly sweet and the pastry cream spread between the layers of banana had a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg adding a nice flavor interest. Dorie did a cleaver thing with the whipped cream topping by adding a couple of tablespoons of sour cream to it. That little bit of sour cream adds a remarkable richness that boosts the mouth-feel satisfaction. Sometimes I find whipped cream toppings or frostings to be so puffy and airy that it doesn’t stand up to the other components in the dessert, but this was perfect. The top of the pie is garnished with a little freshly grated nutmeg.

Last month I bought a bottle of Armagnac for the Chocolate Armagnac cake this group baked, so now I am on the lookout for ways to use the rest of the bottle. I added it rather than vanilla to the pastry cream and the whipped cream topping. Like the Chocolate Armagnac cake, I couldn’t taste it. I thought for sure it would stand up in this recipe because it was added after all the cooking was completed. When I first mixed it in the pastry cream I could taste it, but the flavor disappeared by the time the pie was served. I did only add 2 teaspoons for fear of thinning out the pastry cream too much, which wasn’t a problem in hindsight. I am a little perplexed by Armagnac because to taste it straight it packs a punch. My friend Julie confirmed that there wasn’t a hint of Armagnac in the pie, but told me she made a chicken dish that was cooked with Armagnac soaked prunes that was delicious and delivered a good Armagnac flavor, so it can be done.

Besides over baking the pie crust a bit, this was a really nice banana cream pie. Thanks to Amy, of Sing for your Supper, for picking this week’s recipe; if you want to hum the theme to Gilligan’s Island for a few days and enjoy some tasty pie, visit Amy’s blog for the recipe.

I, along with over 350 other baking bloggers are baking our way thorough Dorie Greenspan’s book, Baking: From My Home to Yours . 68 recipes completed 153 to go!