GLUTEN-FREE BANANA CREAM PIE

Gluten-Free Banana Cream Pie image

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories dessert

Time 1h30m

Yield one 9-inch pie

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

1/3 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
24 grams cornstarch (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)
1 large egg yolk
96 grams sugar (about 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt, more as needed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
127 grams gluten-free flour blend about 1 cup, purchased or homemade (see recipe)
22 grams sweet rice flour (about 2 tablespoons)
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, plus more to grease the pan
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, to taste optional

Steps:

Stir together the milk and 1 cup of cream. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/3 cup of the cream mixture. Whisk in the egg yolk.
Mix 88 grams of sugar (about 1/3 cup), 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining cream mixture in a heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and remove from heat. Whisk a third of the sugar-and-cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then stir that into the saucepan. Return to medium heat and stir without stopping, being sure to stir the bottom and sides of the pan, for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Strain into a bowl, cover this pudding with plastic and chill completely, at least 3 hours.
Stir together the gluten-free flour, sweet rice flour, 8 grams of sugar (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Cut the butter into chunks and, using your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients to form a coarse meal. Make a well. Break the egg into the well. Add the lemon juice. Use a fork to stir from the center, working the flour into the egg to form a soft dough. Shape into a disk and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a pie pan and press the pastry into it in an even layer. If the dough seems very sticky, put a piece of parchment paper on top and pat it out to smooth, then remove it.
Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To assemble the pie, pour half the pudding into the crust. Slice 2 of the bananas and arrange the slices over the pudding. Pour the remaining pudding on top of the bananas. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly cooled, about 3 hours.
Just before serving, slice the remaining banana and arrange the slices over the pudding. Whip the remaining cup of cream until stiff. If you like, add confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Spread whipped cream on top or pipe it from a pastry bag.