Cooking Lesson #944: Norm’s Retro Banana Puddin’ Pie

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Today, I want to talk about Banana Cream Pie—the sort of pie you see in a mounted glass refrigerated cabinet above the counter or slowly spinning in the glass pastry case at a Norm’s California retro diner, where the coral colored and aqua blue faux leather booths are big and cushy, and the jukebox plays Buddy Holly tunes with chrome absolutely everywhere.
 
Featuring Googie-style architecture, Norms Restaurants is an expensive regional chain of California roadside diner restaurants in Southern California. Founded in 1949 by used-car salesman Norm Roybark, most restaurants are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As of June 2024, the company operated 23 locations in Greater Los Angeles, and in the last couple of weeks it opened their first restaurant in Las Vegas.
 
As with most of my pie recipes, I suggest using a trusty flaky pie dough recipe for the crust. But rather than use a bright yellow banana pudding for the filling, I use my from-scratch vanilla pastry cream and then top it with fresh banana slices. Please don’t use Jell-O instant pudding mix.
 
My pastry cream is a stovetop custard, made by combining sugar, heavy cream, milk and egg yolks, and then boiling the mixture until it’s thick and silky-smooth. It’s actually the same stuff I use in éclairs and Boston Cream Pie. While the words “stovetop custard” may sound intimidating, all it requires is a whole lot of whisking—it’s a great arm workout—so the eggs don’t coagulate from the heat of the burner. There are also a few tablespoons of cornstarch in the pastry cream, which helps prevent the eggs from getting scrambled.
 
I like to flavor the pastry cream with both freshly scraped vanilla bean and a splash of vanilla extract. Combined with the airy vanilla whipped cream, the pie tastes decadent and almost boozy—full of a caramel, bourbon-y richness. It’s divine with the thick banana slices, and the contrasting salty, buttery crust really let’s all that flavor shine.
 
Though banana cream pie is a classic, this version has a modern note to it that feels fitting for more upscale occasions. But it’s not so fancy that it would feel out of place on a gingham-clad picnic table at a family’s barbecue. It will be devoured quickly with nothing but a few crumbs left behind.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Bake time:  30 minutes+
Yield:  1 9” pie / 6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the pastry cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-3/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted European-style butter, cold and diced
 
For the pie
all-purpose flour, for dusting
1 disc flaky pie crust (your grandmother’s favorite recipe)
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 large bananas
16 vanilla wafers
 
Directions
To make the pastry cream

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch until fully incorporated.
2. Add the egg yolks and kosher salt, whisking until fully incorporated.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy whipping cream.
4. Run a paring knife along the side of the vanilla bean, splitting it in half lengthwise. Using the tip of the knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod into the milk mixture. Whisk to combine. This not only tastes great but gives the look of vanilla beans in the puddin’.
5. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat until it barely starts to simmer, stirring frequently. Watch the mixture carefully to make sure it doesn’t scorch. Once simmering, lower the heat.
6. Temper the egg yolks by adding 2 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking continuously so the eggs do not scramble.
7. Continue adding the hot milk slowly, whisking continuously, until about half of the milk mixture has been incorporated into the egg yolks.
8. Pour the warmed egg yolks into the remaining hot milk, whisking continuously, and bring the mixture to a boil for 1 minute, or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
9. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl.
10. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then gradually add the unsalted butter, whisking until smooth after each addition.
11. Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the custard to ensure it doesn’t form a skin.
12. Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or until completely cooled before using.

To bake the pie crust

1. Preheat the oven to 475⁰ F.
2. Lightly dust a clean, flat surface with all-purpose flour.
3. Roll out the disc of classic flaky dough into a 1/4-inch-thick 12” circle, frequently turning the dough 90 degrees to prevent it from sticking.
4. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to a 9” pie plate.
5. Press the dough gently into the pie plate, and trim the extra dough, leaving 1” to hang off the edge of the pie plate.
6. Fold the extra dough under itself on the rim of the dish, creating an edge that is double-thick. Crimp and flute the edges of the pie.
7. Freeze the pie crust for 10 minutes.
8. Remove from the freezer and dock the crust with a fork.
9. Place a 12” circle of parchment paper in the center of the pie crust and pour pie weights or uncooked beans onto the parchment in an even layer. This holds the crust in place.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown on the edges.
11. Remove the pie weights and parchment, lower the oven temperature to 350°, and return the pie to the oven. Continue baking the pie crust until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes more.
12. Cool the pie crust completely.

To assemble the pie

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form. Set it aside.
2. Spread the cold pastry cream into the bottom of the cooled pie crust in an even layer.
3. Cut the banana into thin slices and arrange them in a neat even layer on top of the pastry cream, pressing them gently into the cream—be artistic.
4. Top the bananas with the whipped cream.
5. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
6. When ready to serve place the vanilla wafer in the whipped cream.
7. Slice and serve cold and yummy.

ChefSecret:                                         Ed’s Perfect Pie Crust
Prep Time:  30 minutes
Cool Time:  1 hour
Freeze Time:  30 minutes
Blind Baking Time:  12 to 15 minutes
Yield:  2 9-inch Single-Crust pies or 1 9-Inch Double-Crust Pie

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold lard cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice-cold water
 
Directions:
1.    In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade briefly pulse the flour, sugar, and salt to mix. 
2.    Add the butter and lard and pulse for 30 seconds or until coarse crumbs form. 
3.    Add the lemon juice and water. Pulse just until the dough just starts to come together.  Do not over mix.
4.    Turn the dough onto a work surface and gently shape it into two equal disks about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic food film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
 
If only making a single crust you can freeze the second dough disk wrapped in food film for up to 3 months.

Quip of the Day:  Q. If a crocodile makes shoes, what does a banana make?  A. Slippers!

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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well and be kind.

To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

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                                                                                   ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

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