Friday, January 14, 2011

It's a Pie Party!

It's time for the all-American treat....PIE!
Link up and join the party!

My husband's birthday is Monday so we decided on a Banana Cream Pie for his special day.   The recipe is pieced together from two different recipes - parts can be credited to Emeril and other parts are from Ron Silver's Bubby's Homemade Pies.
Here's the recipe with pictures.  Enjoy and Pie-Party On!!!

Nut Pastry Dough:
1/2 cup finely chopped, raw, unsalted walnuts
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Make dough and bake ahead.  It will need to cool down before adding bananas, cream filling, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. 

Vanilla Pudding
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch

Combine 2 cups of the cream, the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the vanilla bean, and the vanilla seeds in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat. Combine the egg yolks, eggs, cornstarch, and 1 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl, and whisk pale yellow in color. Set aside.Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon to cook out the cornstarch and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. (The mixture may separate slightly. If so, remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.) Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.


Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Scald the half-and-half and butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
Place the chocolate and vanilla in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Add the hot half-and-half and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. 
 
To assemble the pie spoon some of the vanilla pudding into the pie crust. Add, 1 1/2 cups sliced bananas covering the pudding. Cover the bananas with remaining pudding.  Top with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.  Use extra chocolate sauce to decorate each serving dish. 
 My husband is so excited about his birthday pie.  
Everyone participating in the pie party will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of the Country Living The Little Book of Pies & Tarts: 50 Easy Homemade Favorites to Bake & Share that will be released in April!!!

37 comments:

  1. I'll be there, JoJo. Good excuse to bake something sweet! :)I am taking your button and putting it on my blog.

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  2. We celebrate National Pie Day, January 23rd every year. Pie is my favorite, too...all kinds of pies.:)
    I'll take your button to my sidebar..and I'll be back to link up on the 23rd.
    Yipee...I LOVE PIE.
    XO bj

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  3. Cheryl that sounds like fun. I too LOVE pie!! Maybe I will even try to make one! hugs, Linda

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  4. I added this button to my sidebar and I'll also be back on the 23rd to join the party!

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  5. JoJo great!! What a fun party for mid winter blues!

    I agree, I always love pie over cake!

    Be sure to come and enter my Giveaway from Blydesign......

    Xoxo
    Karena

    Art by Karena

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  6. JoJo,
    This is a super idea, who knew there was a day just for celebrating pies?
    I've taken the button for my sidebar and will be joining in the fun on the 23rd.

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  7. Interestingly, my daughter "Sheldon" only likes cake, hates pie. Me, I'll eat anything that doesn't eat me first.

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  8. What fun Cheryl! I'll bake a pie as soon as I can and link up!

    Did you ever see the movie "Waitress"? It made me want to bake a pie the next day!

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  9. A German couple has a restaurant 2 miles from me. Pies, yum, ALL, yum.

    Her strawberry-rhubarb, incredible.

    They live above their restaurant in our quaint Stone Mountain Village.

    Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

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  10. Any excuse for the Boss to eat dessert!!....I will bake a pie... add your button to my side bar and where is Joyce when we need her!!

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  11. Hi Jojo and good morning from Italy (I live in Rome). I'm a pie-addicted and I'd love a pie national day!
    Hope you'll come and see me!
    Kisses.
    Laura@RicevereconStile

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  12. Thanks for inviting me to your pie party, Jojo! I'll take pie over cake any day, too. :D

    I'm sorry I couldn't include the recipe, since mine was store-bought & a surprise. Hubby usually makes mine from scratch for my birthday.
    Thanks for the well wishes, too.

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  13. Hi there! Nice to meet you! I too love pie (but then I love cake too) Bad sweet tooth. :(

    I love to bake and cook but have never perfected pie crust. It's on my to do list! LOL!
    Come by for a visit sometime.

    Donna

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  14. I came back to tell you I have posted your button on my sidebar.
    Is your party going on all this week? I think folks are misunderstanding that it is only on the official day of Jan. 23.
    Heck, I'll join you to celebrate all month!!! LOL

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  15. Hi JoJo! Stopping by from the Gazebo House, I added your button to my side bar! Thanks for hosting:@)

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  16. How fun, Cheryl! Everything looks sooo yummy! I am no cook, I'm afraid...or not much of one since I became an emptynester! Happy Pie Day! I hope you are having a great week!....hugs...Debbie

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  17. Cheryl, this is a great idea. Pies are a favorite around here. Do we link up as soon as a post is ready or wait till the 23rd? I've put your button on my sidebar.
    Fantastic idea! ~ Sarah

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  18. Hope you've enjoyed your Pie Party...who doesn't love pie? My best is PECAN from my mother's recipe that makes 3 at a time!

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  19. Hi Jojo, this a a great party idea! I can't wait to see all the new pie ideas. Who doesn't love pie? Linda

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  20. I have not baked a pie in ages. The last pie we had was from Publix, a pumpkin-pecan, and not bad. I’ll be looking at all your pie pictures and recipes. I can’t join as we are getting ready for a big trip.

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  21. I just posted my famous apple cheese tart. Thanks Jo Jo! I'm going to love seeing everyone's yummy pies!

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  22. Hi, JoJo..I just added my link.
    I...LOVE...PIE...!! :))

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  23. I am very impressed that you made your own pudding....Joyce will be so proud!!....She thinks I'm a Sandra Lee and I never hear the end of it....Thanks for having the party....I needed an excuse for a good dessert and I haven't made a pie in a long time....I just added my link!

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  24. Wow, your pie is truly Birthday worthy Jo Jo, sounds amazing-enjoy:@)

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  25. Jo Jo this has been so much fun, I hope to try some of the recipes listed here today.
    Thanks for visiting Normandy and your lovely comment.
    Sending Happy Birthday wishes to your other half.
    Maggie

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  26. I JUST discovered your wonderful Pie Party AND I was already preparing a post with my apple pies(How long do I have to get it posted???)I'm your NEWEST FOLLOWER and I'm hoping you will FOLLOW ME TOO???
    Your pie looks DELICIOUS! and I'm be adding it to my recipes of "Must Make"!!!Thank you for this wonderful party. and I'll be adding my post tonight...I am also adding your button to my sidebar...
    Hugs to you,
    Donna

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  27. Oh, this pie looks fabulous.
    JoJo, this has been great fun. Thank you for hosting this party. Pie is certainly a favorite around here. I'd rather bake a pie than cake any day. Happy Birthday to your husband. ~ Sarah

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  28. So happy to find yet another "JoJo" (Cheryl) with such a fabulous blog!

    Love the recipe and the photos. Mygoodnessgracious. Banana Cream with chocolate sauce? MUST try.

    Why is it we love to cook so much in the wintertime? I cook all year long, but absolutely adore being in the kitchen during snowy spells.

    Nice to meet you...I'll be back!

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  29. JoJo your Banana Cream Pie looks heavenly! I never attempted to make a cream pie before but I'm going to try this recipe one day!

    Thanks so much for hosting this fun event!

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  30. HURRAY, I'm posted!!! Thank you SO MUCH for this fun party! and Please enter me for the cookbook... I also posted you on my sidebar and I'm a Follower... I'm anxious to try YOUR delicious pie recipe... The crust sound SO GOOD...YUMMY!!!
    Hugs to you,
    Donna

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  31. The chocolate sauce puts this over the top. Thanks for making National Pie Day fun.

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  32. I'm just catching up on my blog adventures after spending (almost) the month of January celebrating my own birthday. Delicious! I LOVE chocolate pie. Happy belated birthday to your husband. He must have had a yummy party!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  33. you had me a nut pastry dough. I love pie!!! My favorite is still apple. but i make a chicken pie because my sister gave me a neat pie top cutter with all these chicken shapes in it. gotta go, im high on pie. hee hee

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  34. Sorry JOJO i had no time to make my pie. I made the dough and the 3 year old started throwing up.
    I will make it in few days if i find the time.
    Your button was on my blog. I hope it helped you :)
    XO

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