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< Back Homemade Egg Noodles Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 3-5 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 2 beaten eggs 4 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose white flour Preparation Mix together eggs, milk, and salt. Add one cup of flour and just a little more flour to bring the dough together, but not make it a stiff dough. You don’t need to knead it. With the remaining flour, heavily dust your work area and start to roll dough out. Heavily flour the top and bottom of the dough and you can turn it over every once in a while to make sure nothing is sticking. Roll the dough really, really thin. Once it is the thickness you want, cut it into rectangular bite sized pieces (1/4-1/2 wide, ½-1 long – your size preference) with a pizza knife. Using a bakery scraper, scoop up the noodles and the flour that is left on the workstation and drop it into your boiling soup. The flour will help thicken the soup a little. Cook uncovered for about 3-5 minutes. After making it the first time, you will get a better idea of how thin you want to roll your dough. When cooking, the noodles will expand a bit. I prefer my noodles to be thinner and not so chewy. These noodles are especially good in my quick and easy Chicken Noodle soup. Previous Next

< Back Whipped Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 24 Level: Beginner Ingredients Preparation This Whipped Buttercream Frosting recipe pretty much blew my mind. I’m not a big frosting person; most buttercream frostings are just ok, and I can take them or leave them. Well, this buttercream frosting is amazing, and it uses (are you ready for this?) granulated sugar! Yep! Regular, old granulated sugar. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to make frosting without powdered sugar, this is it! Don’t worry – it’s not gritty at all. In fact, this ermine frosting has the texture of a light whipped cream with the flavor of a sweet, vanilla buttercream. It’s honestly the best frosting (buttercream or otherwise) that I’ve ever had. It’s sweet but not overwhelmingly, make-your-teeth-ache sweet. I’ve put answers to a lot of the questions I’ve received in the recipe notes. Please take a second to read through those notes before making the frosting. How to make frosting without powdered sugar Step 1 Whisk the milk and flour together in a small heavy saucepan before beginning to heat. Step 2 Once combined, heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it has thickened. At this point, it should be the consistency of a thick paste. Step 3 Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract. Step 4 Let the mixture cool to room temperature before continuing. This step is key. If the mixture is warm, it will cause the butter to warm up, and you’ll end up with a thin, runny frosting. Step 5 In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together on medium-high to high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides to avoid gritty frosting. Step 6 Add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture to the beaten butter/sugar mixture, and beat on medium-high to high for 5 minutes. It may look separated at first, but keep whipping the frosting until it is light and fluffy. What flavors of cake go well with this frosting? This frosting has a light, sweet vanilla flavor that works well with a number of cake flavors. Here are a few ideas! Red velvet Chocolate cake Carrot cake Zucchini cake Spice cake White cake Can I make this frosting in other flavors? You can! Here are some of the different flavors of this frosting that I’ve made. Chocolate frosting Oreo frosting Brown sugar frosting Peppermint frosting Cinnamon frosting Cream Cheese Frosting Troubleshooting tips First , not cooking the milk mixture long enough. The mixture should be a thick paste. If it’s too wet, the frosting will be too loose. Second , the cooked milk mixture needs to cool completely. If it’s too warm, it will melt the butter, and you’ll end up with loose frosting that doesn’t come together. Third , using butter that’s too warm. The butter should be at a cool room temperature. It should dent if pushed, but it shouldn’t be too warm and certainly not beginning to melt. Fourth , using other types of sugars. This frosting needs to be made with granulated sugar, not powdered sugar. Fifth , not whipped the frosting long enough. The frosting needs to be whipped to get the right light and airy texture. Cutting the time short could leave you with a grainy frosting or a frosting that separates. If your frosting is still a little gritty after beating it for 5 minutes, go ahead and add the cooled milk/flour mixture. That will usually smooth out any remaining sugar. A couple people have reported that a film has formed on their milk/flour mixture. I haven’t had this happen, but another person said that she’s had good luck with blending the milk/flour mixture with a blender before cooking it. She said that it removed any lumps and helped prevent skin from forming. INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk together over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. It will be the consistency of a thick paste2. Make sure that you whisk the flour and milk together well before you begin cooking it to avoid lumps. 2. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. This step is key. If your mixture is warm, it will melt your butter, and you’ll end up with runny frosting. 3. Stir in vanilla. 4. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy on medium high, about 5 minutes. Make sure that you scrape down the sides and really incorporate the butter and sugar to avoid gritty frosting. 5. Then add the completely cooled milk mixture. 6. Beat it for about 5 more minutes on medium-high to high until it looks like whipped cream. It may look separated at first, so keep beating it until it comes together and looks like a whipped cream. Recipe Notes 1. Make sure that your butter isn’t too warm! The butter should be at cool room temperature. You want it to dent if you press it, but you don’t want it to be so warm that it’s near melting. 2. When cooking the milk/flour mixture, you don’t want it to look wet. It should be like a thick paste. If it’s wet and runny, your frosting will be too loose. 3. If you’re using a hand mixer, beat it on high. This recipe work well with a stand mixer because it has the power to really whip the frosting. 4. Please don’t cut the mixing time short! I know it’s tempting, but it’s important to beat the butter and sugar together for the time the recipe calls for to keep it from being gritty. If you cut the mixing times short, you won’t end up with the right texture of frosting. 5. To get the best flavor, you’ll want to use real butter and pure vanilla extract. 6. I recommend chilling any leftover frosted cake or cupcakes. 7. Nutrition values are estimates. Previous Next

< Back No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 48 cookies Level: Beginner Ingredients 3 cups white sugar ¾ cup butter ¾ cup milk 1 ½ cups peanut butter ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 4 ½ cups quick-cooking oats Preparation Step 1 Combine sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rapid boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Mix in oats, stirring until mixture begins to cool. (Transfer mixture to a large bowl if ingredients overflow.) Step 2 Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool until set. Previous Next

< Back Million Dollar Fudge Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 6 min Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients HAVE READY IN BOWL: 1-12-oz. package chocolate chips 2- 7 oz. Hershey bars (plus 2 more oz. from smaller bars) broken up 2-cups chopped nuts 1-7 oz. bottle marshmallow crème PUT IN HEAVY PAN: 4½ cups white sugar 1 large can canned milk (evaporated) ½ lb. butter Preparation Cook pan mixture to rolling boil—stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium & boil for 6 minutes on a low boil. Add to ingredients in bowl and stir, stir, stir. Pour in buttered pan. This makes a broiler pan (not quite as large as a cookie sheet) full; I put mine in a lasagna pan. The secret is to cook in a heavy pan. (Can also add more marshmallow crème or decrease chocolate from Hershey bars slightly...makes lighter or less dense fudge—also may be a little stickier.) 2 hours to cool How to store fudge: Keep the fudge in an air tight sealed container. Keep at room temperature after the fudge has set, but can also be kept in the fridge if desired. Will keep well for up to a week.

< Back Peanut Clusters Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: Varies Serves: 10 Level: Beginner Ingredients Baking Chips – a combination of semi-sweet or dark chocolate and butterscotch chips creates the perfect rich flavor. Peanuts – unsalted, roasted peanuts are my favorite. Preparation Melt chocolate – temper – stir in peanuts, cashews, whatever nuts you like. Drop onto wax paper. Sooooo easy! WORKING WITH CHOCOLATE Always start with good chocolate; a good chocolate will have a “smooth melt” – no noticeable grain when melted on the tongue. Never add anything to the chocolate (paraffin, oil, etc.). Break chocolate into small pieces, or buy small chocolate pieces. Keep away from moisture (i.e. Check every few minutes to make If it’s May want to turn the oven Be sure to stir chocolate fairly often as it Chocolate can also be melted in a microwave, but milk chocolate can scorch rather easily. Melt You can put a bowl of chocolate in an oven with a pilot light; it’ll melt overnight (or “Tempering” is the process of mixing and cooling chocolate to get it ready for dipping/coating Stir in bowl, or pour into a cold electric frying pan or marble slab and make “S” motions Continue mixing and cooling until chocolate feels cool to the touch. Dip or When working with chocolate, your room temperature should be no higher than Chocolate can be remelted many times as long as there is no moisture present and it hasn’t How to Store and Freeze Once the peanut clusters are completely set, they can be stored either at room temperature or in the fridge up to 2 weeks. I prefer to keep them in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t melt. To store them, line them in an airtight container with pieces of parchment or wax paper between each layer. To freeze them, let them harden completely, then transfer them to an airtight container with pieces of parchment or wax paper between each layer if you’re stacking them. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Previous Next

< Back Turkey Casserole Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe A holiday roast turkey is no joke. Even when we're serving a big crowd, after Thanksgiving is all said and done, we usually end up with way more turkey leftovers than any Thanksgiving sandwich can handle. What better way to transform the main bird than by adding it to a delicious, comforting casserole? Ingredients 2/3 c. panko 3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, divided 6 tbsp. butter, divided, plus more for pan Kosher salt 1 small yellow onion, chopped 1 1/4 c. sliced cremini mushrooms 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 4 c. low-sodium chicken stock 2 c. shredded cheddar 3 c. cubed cooked turkey 8 oz. egg noodles, cooked 1 c. frozen peas 3 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish 1 tbsp. lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper Preparation In this recipe, we paired our cooked turkey with veggies, hearty egg noodles, plenty of cheese, and irresistibly buttery, crumbly bread crumbs for a comfort food dish that is a perfect post-Thanksgiving meal, but satisfying all year long. Like most casseroles, this turkey version is super customizable—feel free to add your own touch and make it your own! Read on down below for all of our tips on how to make it just right: Variations: We love this dish as is, but feel free to experiment and make this dish your own—this is all about using up those leftovers. Have some extra veggies you'd like to throw in? Carrots, celery, or corn would all make great additions. Not feeling the cheese? Switch out the Parm and cheddar for your favorite variations (or, add even more to make this a triple-cheese bake). Not feeling turkey? We love making this casserole to use up all of our leftover turkey, but you can also swap it out with ground turkey or shredded chicken if you don’t have any on hand. Can I make this ahead of time? We love to make casseroles ahead of time to make weeknight dinners a breeze—this dish is no exception. Simply prep the entire casserole—leaving off the buttered bread crumbs until you're about to place in the oven—before covering and placing in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake! How to store turkey casserole: If this casserole isn't absolutely devoured after serving, any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container (or cover your casserole container in storage wrap) in the fridge for up to three days. Simply reheat in the microwave, or put your casserole dish back in the oven when you're ready to eat again. Step 1 Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium bowl, combine panko with 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt. Step 2 In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add onion and mushrooms and season with salt. Cook, stirring until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Pour stock into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Step 3 Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and remaining ½ cup Parmesan until melted. Step 4 Add turkey, noodles, peas, parsley, and lemon juice to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Step 5 Brush a 9"-x-13" baking dish with butter and scrape the turkey casserole mixture into the dish. Top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Step 6 Top with more parsley before serving. Previous Next

< Back Beef Back Ribs In the Oven Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 4 Hours 5 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe These beef back ribs are insanely juicy and flavorful! Baked in the oven until fall-off-the-bone tender, this foolproof recipe yields perfectly cooked ribs every time. Finish these oven baked beef back ribs with a slathering of your favorite barbecue sauce and enjoy! Ingredients For the Dry Rub 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper For the Ribs 4 pounds beef back ribs ½ cup BBQ sauce Preparation What Makes This Recipe So Good The oven takes all of the guesswork out of cooking this particularly tricky cut of meat! Simply season your beef back ribs, wrap them in foil, and transfer them to the oven. Leave them to cook low and slow, before returning to perfectly tender and juicy ribs – YUM! You can serve them however you’d like! The quick and easy homemade dry rub included in the recipe is insanely delicious on its own. However, if you’re like me and crave even more flavor, finish your ribs off with your favorite barbecue sauce. These beef back ribs are incredibly tasty no matter which way you serve them! They’re a total crowd pleaser! Everyone will go crazy for this intensely flavorful recipe. I especially love throwing this recipe together for dinner guests and watch as they go crazy over this dish! Key Ingredients Beef Back Ribs – Beef back ribs are the meat remaining after the butcher removes the ribeye roast off the bones. These ribs are known for being particularly lean since they don’t contain much meat. Though you’ll still find a decent amount of beef that when properly cooked is juicy and delicious! You can make this recipe using either a full rack of beef back ribs, or sliced ribs. I used sliced ribs since an entire rack is sometimes hard to come by. Smoked Paprika – Since we’re cooking these ribs in the oven, the smoked paprika emulates that delightful smokey flavor as if you’d cooked them on the grill. If you don’t have smoked paprika, I highly recommend you pick some up. However, you can definitely use regular paprika instead! Chef’s Tips Resist the urge to remove the ribs from the oven before at least the 3 hour mark. By baking them wrapped in foil, the meat soaks in as much flavor as possible. If you check on them too early, you risk releasing too much steam, and therefore flavor, from the beef back ribs. These ribs are best enjoyed immediately after cooking! However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days . To reheat, transfer the ribs to a baking sheet, cover them with aluminum foil, and bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until warm throughout. Do not attempt to increase the temperature of your oven. Four hours seems like a long time, but trust me, it is so worth it! Cooking these beef back ribs low and slow encourages the collagen in the meat to slowly break down, creating super tender beef. Other Barbecue Recipes You’ll Love Farmhouse BBQ Muffins Honey BBQ Chicken Wraps Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Instructions Preheat the oven to 275° Fahrenheit. Line the baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil and set aside. Place 4 pounds beef back ribs on the cutting board. Add 2 teaspoons smoked paprika , 1 teaspoon garlic powder , 1 teaspoon onion powder , 1 teaspoon salt , and 1 teaspoon black pepper to a small mixing bowl. Mix until ingredients are well blended, then cover ribs with dry rub on all sides. Place seasoned ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet, bone-side up. Cover ribs with a second sheet of foil and wrap edges of foil sheets tightly to seal foil around ribs. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake ribs bone-side up for 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove ribs from the oven. Unwrap ribs and discard aluminum foil. Drain any remaining fat from the baking sheet, then return ribs to the baking sheet with bone side facing down. Brush ½ cup BBQ sauce on ribs, coating ribs thoroughly on all sides. Set broiler to High. Place the baking sheet approximately 6 inches below the broiler and broil 3 to 5 minutes, or until the skin of ribs is crispy and caramelized. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Divide ribs into preferred portions and serve warm with desired sides. Previous Next

< Back Wall Cleaner My parents owned rentals for a lot of years, and I have washed a LOT of walls. This is the best wall cleaner that I have ever used. And it is cheap! ¼ cup baking soda (can substitute with Borax) ½ cup vinegar 1 cup ammonia 1 gallon warm water Combine all ingredients in a bucket and mix well. *A quick tip to help wash the walls faster is to dust them first. If the dust has been removed, then your wash water will stay cleaner longer. **The general consensus is to wash walls from the bottom to the top, but I find that I prefer starting at the top and working my way to the bottom. As long as you wash the whole wall, I don’t see a problem with it either way. Whichever way you choose, be safe. Don’t use a chair to climb on if trying to reach the top of the wall, instead us a sturdy step ladder. Safety first. ***Some people like using flat mops to wash the walls, but I’m not a big fan. I prefer to wash the walls with a rag, but that is not for everyone. You choose what is best for you. In the end, the results are the same – the walls are clean. Previous Next

< Back Apple Chip Cake Grandmas easy delicious cake! Previous Next

< Back Herb Tomato Sauce Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1-3 hours Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 5 cups of tomato sauce 1 Tbsp. dried oregano 2/3 cups olive oil 1 Tbsp. dried basil1 tsp. of granulated garlic 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed Salt and pepper to taste Preparation Mix together the ingredients really well and let stand for several hours (of course you know that I use it immediately) to let the flavors blend. You don’t need to cook it. This sauce is good for pizzas, for dipping garlic bread sticks and for making Chicken Parmigiana among other things. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, but it stores well and if it is in the fridge you can whip together a pizza, or whatever, in just moments and yes, you can freeze it

< Back Homemade Banana Cream Pie Prep Time: 4 hours (includes crust) Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: (1) 9-inch pie Level: Beginner Ingredients Crust 1 unbaked pie crust (what I used) or all butter pie crust* optional egg wash: 1 large egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk Custard Filling 4 large egg yolks 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch 2 cups (480ml) whole milk 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 4 yellow bananas (not super ripe yet) optional: sprinkle of ground cinnamon Whipped Cream 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ or granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Preparation What Is Banana Cream Pie? The combination of kitchen magic. Seriously, though, banana cream pie combines homemade pie pastry crust, fresh bananas, vanilla custard, and fluffy whipped cream. First, Bake Your Pie Crust Blind baking a pie crust shell = baking it without a filling. Why do we do that? Well, if you have a no-bake pie filling like coconut cream pie or today’s banana cream pie, you need a baked pie crust. Start with homemade pie dough. To bake pie crust without a filling, you need to weigh it down to help prevent it from shrinking. I’m pretty loyal to ceramic pie weights; they’re inexpensive and get the job done. You can also use dry beans. (Note: You’ll need 2 packs of the pie weights!) Here are the steps: Make the pie dough ahead of time, and then refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to make the pie. Pie crust must chill for at least 2 hours before rolling out. Roll it out, then fit into your 9-inch pie dish. Crimp or flute the edges. See my how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial for helpful tips and visuals. Chill the shaped pie crust for at least 30 minutes. This prevents shrinking. Remember that pie dough must be cold when it hits the oven. Line with parchment paper, and then fill with pie weights. Bake until the edges are lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights, then prick the bottom with a fork. This lets air escape the bottom. Return the crust to the oven until the entire pie shell is golden brown. Cool pie shell completely. You can do this up to 3 days ahead of time! This baked pie crust “shell” is crispy, flaky, and ready for your banana cream filling. Layer in Your Banana Slices Layer banana slices into your baked pie crust shell. Sometimes I add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the banana slices. This is definitely a unique addition to BCP, but wow!!! It tastes unbelievable. Success Tip: Don’t use overly ripe bananas because they can seep liquid and break your thick custard filling. Save your brown spotty bananas for banana bread, and use the yellow ones for banana cream pie. Homemade Custard Filling I’m here to squash any fears that you may have about from-scratch custard. It’s actually pretty easy—if you know how to whisk, you can make it. If you’ve ever made coconut cream pie, mocha chocolate pudding pie, or homemade dirt pudding, the process will look familiar. You’ll need sugar, whole milk, heavy cream (also needed for the whipped cream topping), and egg yolks. For flavor, you’ll add vanilla and butter. For thickening, you’ll use cornstarch. (The egg yolks and cream help, too.) The first step is to mix egg yolks and cornstarch together: I usually do this with a fork in a liquid measuring cup, because we’ll eventually pour this into the cooking milk mixture. Heat whole milk, cream, sugar, and a little salt on the stove. Once the milk/cream/sugar is gently simmering, slowly stream and whisk a little of this milk mixture into the egg yolk/cornstarch mixture. This is called tempering. The slow and steady stream of warm milk is bringing the egg yolks’ temperature up without scrambling them. Then stream and whisk the heated egg yolk mixture into the rest of the milk/cream/sugar on the stove. Cook on low, and let it begin to bubble, which happens pretty quickly. Whisk it while it pops and bubbles for just 1 minute. Remove from heat, then stir in the vanilla and butter, and allow to slightly cool. The custard will be smooth, rich, and silky: FAQ: Why Isn’t My Custard Smooth? Do you notice little bits of egg yolks in your custard? You may not have tempered them slowly enough. Remember to very slowly stream and whisk some of the cooking milk mixture into the egg yolk/cornstarch mixture, and then very slowly stream and whisk it back into the pot. Whisk constantly. If your best efforts still result in a few chunks, you can strain the finished warm custard through a fine mesh sieve. Or just leave it—you can’t really taste it. How to Ensure Your Banana Cream Pie Sets With 4 egg yolks, 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch, and some heavy cream, you can be certain this custard sets into a pretty sliceable texture. Be sure to whisk it on the stove often, and let it bubble and cook long enough for the heat to help bind the cornstarch to the fat. (1 minute is plenty.) Spread the vanilla custard filling over the banana slices, cover with plastic wrap right on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. FAQ: Can I Make Banana Cream Pie in Advance? This is a make-ahead dessert. You can make the pie dough in advance and bake the pie crust shell in advance. You can also refrigerate your assembled (but not garnished) banana cream pie for up to 1 day, with the plastic wrap right on top of the surface. And you can make the whipped cream topping in advance, but don’t add it until right before, or up to 1 hour before serving. So if you’re looking for Easter dessert recipes or hoping to make this pie for a special celebration, be sure to plan ahead. You don’t want to decorate the pie with banana slices in advance because they’ll brown. (A brush of lemon juice can extend their freshness by a couple hours, but will affect their flavor.) Right before, or up to 1 hour before, serving, top the pie with homemade whipped cream. You can decorate it any which way, or pretty piped dollops or swirls like the pictured pie. I use a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe it. You could also use up your leftover egg whites and top it with marshmallow meringue topping, and toast it with a kitchen torch! When ready to serve, add banana slices on top. I usually go heavy on the sliced banana garnish. I love texture in desserts, and banana cream pie doesn’t usually deliver on that front. But with lots of banana slices, we’ll get there. Now savor every flaky, creamy, fluffy bite as it melts in your mouth, because you deserve to. You made this all from scratch! Instructions 1. At least 2 hours ahead, make the pie dough: Make the pie crust through step 5 according to my directions. Make pie dough in advance because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out (step 2). The recipe makes 2 crusts, and you only need 1 for this pie, so save the other for another pie. 2. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. If the dough is too warm, fluting/crimping will be difficult, so you can always chill it in the refrigerator for 5–10 minutes first. After fluting/crimping the edges, chill the pie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes. Chilling the shaped dough helps prevent the crust from shrinking. 3. While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). 4. Blind bake the crust: Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. (Crunch up the parchment paper first so that you can easily shape it into the crust.) Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights to fit.) I like to push the weights up against the sides of the pie crust to help ensure the sides don’t shrink down. Bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown, about 15–16 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick holes all over the bottom crust with a fork. If desired for a shiny golden crust, brush egg wash on edges. Return pie crust to the oven and bake for 14–15 minutes, or until the bottom has browned. Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack completely before filling. You can blind bake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover the cooled crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill. 5. Make the custard filling: Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together. (A fork works nicely for this, or a small whisk.) Set aside. Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally. Once simmering, remove about 1/2 cup (120ml) of the milk mixture and, in a slow and steady stream, whisk into the egg yolk and cornstarch mixture. Keep those egg yolks moving so they don’t scramble. In a slow and steady stream, pour and whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pot. The pudding will immediately begin to bubble and thicken. Stand back and use caution as the bubbles may burst. Cook for 1 full minute, whisking constantly. 6. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the vanilla and butter. You will have about 3 cups of filling. If you notice a lot of little chunks of egg yolk, they may not have been tempered properly. To fix, you can run the warm custard through a fine mesh sieve . 7. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the warm pudding to prevent a skin from forming on top. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. I do not recommend any longer than this, as it will be too thick to spread neatly into the crust. 8. Slice 2–3 bananas and arrange slices into the cooled pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Spread custard on top (it’s ok if it is still slightly warm). An offset spatula is helpful for spreading. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard; again, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. 9. When ready to serve, or up to 1 hour before serving, make the whipped cream: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. 10. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top. (I use Wilton 1M tip .) Slice remaining banana and garnish with banana slices and serve pie immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour and then garnish with banana slices and serve. (Best to garnish with banana slices immediately before serving, but whipped cream can go on the pie up to 1 hour in advance.) 11. Slice and serve. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Notes 1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. There are plenty of ways to make this recipe ahead of time. See end of step 2, end of step 8, and step 10. This is not the best pie to freeze; the filling’s texture is never quite the same. However, if you have leftover slices and aren’t concerned as much about taste and appearance, you can freeze leftover pie for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. 2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Rolling Pin | Pie Dish | Pie Weights | Pastry Brush | Egg Separator | Whisk | Offset Spatula | Electric Mixer ( Handheld or Stand Mixer ) | Piping Bag ( Disposable or Reusable ) and Wilton 1M Piping Tip if piping 3. Pie Crust: Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You only need 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for another use. 4. Crumb Crust Alternative: To cut back on time, try using a graham cracker crust. Make sure you bake it for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C), then let it cool completely before filling. 5. Whole Milk & Heavy Cream: These are imperative for the custard to set properly. I do not recommend any substitutions. 6. Prevent Bananas From Browning: Feel free to very, very lightly spritz or brush banana slices with lemon juice prior to arranging in pie crust shell, and prior to using as garnish. They will eventually brown, so it’s best to assemble the pie up to 1 day in advance (step 8), and garnish with banana slices right before serving (step 10). 7. Update in 2023: Recipe used to call for 1 and 3/4 cups whole milk and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. For a slightly smoother, more flavorful custard, I now use 2 cups whole milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla, as you can now see in the recipe. Previous Next