Do you ever want to eat pie…but don’t really want to go to the trouble of making pie? Or you don’t have time for it to really set?
Like me. All. The. Time.
The other day I realized, at like 3pm that it was the 18th anniversary of the day my husband and I started dating and thought it would be fun to make a little special dessert. Nothing to crazy because we just aren’t like that…really it was just a reason to make dessert.
We have TONS of bananas from my husband’s foraging adventures and many of them are sitting around turning brown so I decided I should make a banana cream pie but realized it probably wouldn’t set before we wanted to eat it.
I decided it would work to make individual size somethings because smaller things will set faster. Then of course I am too lazy to make mini pie crusts so I whipped up a shortbread and a custard and threw it all together later that evening (after the kids went to bed, we have a problem with sharing around here).
I THINK this is easier than pie?
At any rate, it was delicious.
Like we both went back for seconds delicious.
And then I ate the rest of it while I was home alone the next day.
I have a problem with gluttony when it comes to homemade custard.
Especially when there is shortbread involved.
I’m obsessed with shortbread, in fact I have made a batch of shortbread approximately 4 times in the last 2 weeks.
I can’t decide if it’s a problem or a good thing.
- FOR THE CRUST
- 1 cup soft butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
FOR THE CUSTARD - ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ounces butter
TO ASSEMBLE - 2-3 ripe bananas, sliced
- whipped cream
- Start by making the shortbread.
- Preheat your oven to 300˚.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar, beat on medium high for about 5 minutes.
- Put the mixer on low and add the flour, beat on low until the dough comes smoothly together. You will see crumbs for a while, don't be fooled, it's not ready until it's all one big dough ball.
- Place the dough in a 9" cake pan, I like to use my tart pan with a removable bottom but if you don't have one a cake pan works great. Press the dough into an even layer and bake until golden on top and done in the center.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- While the shortbread is baking you can make the custard.
- Place the sugar and cornstarch into a large saucepan and whisk together, slowly add the milk and cream, whisking as your pour.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk until thick.
- Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking the eggs until you have about half the milk mixture in the eggs.
- Then do the reverse, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan while still whisking.
- Place over medium heat and cook and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
- remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla.
- Pour into a 8x8 pan and chill until completely cool, about 2-3 hours.
- To assemble the pots, crumble some of the shortbread into the bottom of each container, then place some of the bananas on top of the shortbread, top with custard and whipped cream.
- NOTE: these can be made the day before!
- Huckleberry Plum Pie - January 1, 2017
- Fresh Mango Sorbet - July 17, 2016
- Steak Caesar Salad - June 8, 2016
