When I lived in the Hawaii in the mid 1980s, I sampled the most heavenly banana cream pie. It left an indelible memory which recently surfaced in a conversation I was having with a friend. We don't get together often, and when she asked me how my life was going, I answered using a food analogy.
Because my life is so busy and full of varied activities, I told her my life is like a pie sliced into many wedges. There is no slice too big to consume but rather many little tasty slivers that I graze upon and which completely satisfy me.
"But what flavor is your pie?" she inquired further.
This is when that dreamy banana cream pie memory came to light. After pondering for a moment, I replied, "My life is a banana cream pie. Bananas are sweet yet healthful and their sunny color brings cheer. Bananas remind me of Hawaii which is my favorite place on earth with its warm climate and warm people. My life now is sweetly blessed; I am happy but freezing and would love to snowbird in Hawaii where the bananas grow.
"Banana cream pie is also creamy and rich, and my life is rich with purposeful activity and rich in friendships. Mounds of fluffy whipped cream represent the fun opportunities that have come my way.
"My favorite banana cream pie has a scrumptious macadamia shortbread crust and a light sprinkling of chopped macadamias and toasted coconut atop the whipped cream. Those nuts represent the obstacles and pitfalls in life, not so overwhelming as to halt me but just enough to challenge me. Nuts are full of fiber and require a thorough chewing, a nutritional liquid plumber of sorts. A plain banana cream pie without nuts would lazily slide past the tongue and down the throat. My life has been sweet but I need a little roughage to prevent me from getting too complacent.
"I'm not overly fond of coconut and would choose to omit it in most recipes. Grated coconut has a funky texture. I can chew and chew it but it just doesn't seem to disintegrate. And it gets stuck in my teeth. The toasted coconut slivers on the pie represent those people and situations in my life that, despite my chewing, just won't disappear. But with patience and tolerance, I must deal with them head-on and become stronger in the process. And usually with coconut, after the first bite I realize I actually don't mind the taste!"
My friend looked at me and giggled. "Let's ask a bunch of other people this question!"
Later at home, I queried my daughter who, over the drone of her hairdryer and the blaring music from her boom box, yelled, "What did you say???....Oh, my life is one of those cheesecake samplers with lots of slices and lots of flavors." How true of my wanderlust daughter who who hopscotches along, experiencing a little bit here and a little bit there but all of it with gusto.
So I pose this question to you now. If your life were a pie, what flavor is it and why? In the meantime, I have done my best to replicate that banana cream pie I sampled in paradise. The cookie crust is sweet and the filling is especially creamy with the half and half. If you really want to live on the edge, use full cream. Make sure your bananas aren't green or black. The ripeness factor is critical to the overall flavor. Use a 9 1/2" deep dish pie pan. This pie needs some room to show off its ample whipped cream topping. And please post answers to my pie question. I'd love to read your creative responses!
Macadamia Shortbread Pie Crust
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
In a coffee mill or small blender, grind macadamia nuts until a thick paste form. Using your hands, mix macadamia paste, butter, sugars and flour together in a large bowl. Squeeze and work dough until it holds together. Press into a deep dish 9 1/2" pie pan making sure the dough is pressed a little higher than the lip of the pie pan to prevent shrinking during baking. Chill for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Cool.
Filling
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups half and half
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Whisk in the half and half and egg yolks. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring continuously until mixture thickens and bubbles, 5-8 minutes. Continue to cook, whisking continuously, for about 1 minute more. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, one chunk at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Gently press a piece of plastic wrap against the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Topping
2 cups heavy or whipping cream, well chilled
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
3 large bananas
1/4 cup each chopped macadamia nuts and toasted coconut for garnish (optional)
Using a chilled medium-size bowl and chilled beaters, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar and continue beating just until stiff. Spread a thin layer of the topping over the chilled pie filling. Slice the bananas about 1/4' thick and place all over the pie. Mound the remaining whipped cream over the bananas. Sprinkle with chopped macadamia nuts and toasted coconut, if desired. Chill uncovered for an hour and then serve.
No comments:
Post a Comment