BLACK BOTTOM BANANA CREAM PIE

BLACK BOTTOM BANANA CREAM PIE

PURE HEAVEN – A cloud of whipped cream layered over a rich rum custard, bananas and a chocolate-covered shortbread crust. SORRY NO PICTURES OF IT SLICED YET, BUT JUST KNOW THAT IT IS DELICIOUS LAYERS OF PURE HEAVEN!

8 servings  
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Chilling: minimum 30 minutes

9-10″ deep dish pie plate sprayed with PURE – I like to use my Pyrex french white tart pan
4-8 Tablespoons butter
2-3 cups crushed gingersnaps and vanilla wafers mix (you decide which flavor you prefer)
1 regular size cool whip*
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups cold whole milk
1-5.1 ounce Jell-O Cheesecake flavored instant pudding
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
2 bananas
1 small baskets raspberries

  • Melt butter and mix into cookie crumbs. Push into bottom of pie plate firmly.
  • Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate chips and mix together with 1/3 of the cool whip until well mixed and smooth (microwave about 45 seconds, but you could use double boiler if you prefer melting the chocolate first and then adding cool whip). Spread on top of crumb crust.
  • Slice bananas and layer over chocolate layer saving a few for garnish if you like. If you save a few for garnish, be sure to douse them with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  • Mix together milk, rum extract and pudding mix. Whisk together until smooth and thick. Fold in 1/3 of the cool whip. Spoon over top of chocolate mixture.
  • Melt the other 6 ounces of chocolate chips and mix together with 1/3 of the cool whip until well mixed and smooth. Spread over pudding layer.
  • Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Just before serving garnish with cool whip, banana slices and raspberries. For a more decadent looking dessert add a few pieces of shaved chocolate.

*When I first take the cool whip from the freezer I slice it into thirds pie style to make it easier to work with. 

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes (5.3 oz. each) all-butter shortbread cookies broken
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tbsp. melted and 2 tbsp. cold
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% to 70% cacao), in 3 hunks
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon amber rum
  • 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large bananas
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Directions

  1. Using a food processor, mix the shortbread with a pinch salt; process in long pulses until finely ground and beginning to stick to the sides. Add the melted butter and pulse just until incorporated. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Freeze the pie shell.
  2. Place 2 oz. chocolate in a small bowl and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch and remaining salt. Whisk in the egg yolks over medium-high heat until the custard boils and is very thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, measure out 1/2 cup of the hot custard and add to the bowl of chocolate; let sit for a minute (the chocolate will melt by itself). Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 tbsp. (cold) butter into the custard in the saucepan. Stir in the rum and transfer the rum custard to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until well chilled, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
  3. Meanwhile, stir the chocolate custard, then stir in 1 tbsp. cream and the vanilla. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and spread the chocolate custard across the bottom. Refrigerate to firm up.
  4. Working over the pie shell, cut the bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices, letting them fall to cover the bottom. Spoon the rum custard over the bananas, smoothing the top. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set.
  5. Whip the remaining cream with the confectioners sugar until it forms soft peaks. Spread on top of the rum custard and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or until serving time.
  6. Just before serving, using a vegetable peeler, shave curls off the remaining 1 oz. chocolate onto the top of the pie.