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Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 sticks salted butter, cut into chunks

• 2 Tablespoons Crisco or vegetable shortening

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2–3/4 cup ice water

Pastry Cream

• 4 egg yolks

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 1/4 cups milk

Instructions

Filling

6 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

juice of 1 orange

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Crust

Place the butter chunks and vegetable shortening in the freezer and chill for at least 1 hour. Place the flour in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.

Place the flour in a food processor and add the sugar, chilled butter, and shortening. Pulse 6-8 times to cut the butter into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces. Add the water and pulse 3 or 4 more times until the dough starts to come together, then finish by hand. Divide into two equal portions, wrap in plastic, and chill until ready to roll.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of the pie dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter. Drape the rolled dough over a 9-inch pie pan and gently lift the edges while pressing the dough into the pan. The dough should hang over the edge slightly; then fold the extra dough under the crust to form a raised edge. Use the tines of a fork to gently press the edge of the dough against the rim of the pie dish, forming a consistent pattern around the edge. Chill the filled pie shell for 2 hours.

Preheat a Wolf oven to 325 degrees in Convection mode with a rack in position #3. Line the chilled pie shell with a large sheet of aluminum foil, pressing it so it conforms to the curves of the pan. (A second sheet of foil may be needed for full coverage.) Fill the foil to the brim with sugar, transfer the pan to a half sheet pan, and bake until fully set and golden around the edges, 60 to 75 minutes. Fold the long sides of the foil toward the middle, gather the short sides, and use both hands to carefully transfer the sugar to a heat-safe bowl. Let the sugar cool to room temperature. If needed, continue baking the crust a few minutes longer to brown the bottom.

Pastry Cream

While the pie shell is blind baking, prepare the pastry cream for the filling.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar, and vanilla until light in color and thick enough to form a ribbon. Add the cornstarch and whisk to combine.

Heat the milk to a boil, then add 1/4 of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Whisk to temper the eggs, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching.

When the cream begins to thicken, switch to a whisk and cook until bubbles begin to appear in the center. Continue cooking for 90 seconds while stirring, then pour into a bowl and stir briefly to cool. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the cream and chill.

Assemble the Pie

Toss the sliced bananas with the orange juice and mix lightly. Drain off the excess juice, then add the pastry cream to the bananas. Gently fold the bananas into the cream and spread evenly in the blind-baked pie shell. Place in the refrigerator.

Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Decoratively pipe the whipped cream on top of the pie, then chill until ready to serve.