Big Banana Cream Pie W/caramelized Bananas &

-BANANA CREAM FILLING-
5 Egg yolks
2 tb Flour
1/4 c Cornstarch
2/3 c Sugar
3 c Milk
3 tb Butter
1 tb Banana liqueur
2 ts Vanilla extract

———————-CARAMELIZED FLAMED BANANAS———————-
2 tb Unsalted butter
1/4 c Light brown sugar
3 md Bananas; not too ripe
1 tb Banana liqueur

BANANA WHIP CREAM
2 c Cream
3 tb Sugar
2 tb Banana liqueur

FOR CRUST: Mix flour, salt and sugar. Cut in butter and shortening
until it looks like flaky meal. Sprinkle in ice water. Work into a
ball that cleans the sides of the mixing bowl. (To mix in a food
processor, place dry ingredients in work bowl, top with butter and
shortening, an pulse until mealy. With machine running, pour in the
ice water all at once. When dough forms a ball that knocks around the
sides of the machine, stop immediately.)

Flatten dough into a disk, then wrap with plastic wrap, and chill 30
minutes (or freeze).

Heat oven to 425 for a glass pie plate; 450 for metal. Roll dough to a
circle 3 to 4 inches wider than the pie plate. Set in plate and cut
overhang with scissors so dough extends 3/4 inch beyond the rim. Fold
overhang under so it is even with plate’s rim and crimp large flutes.
Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork, about 50 times.
Cover bottom with foil, fill with rice or beans, and bake 15 minutes.
Pour off grains and foil and return crust to oven to bake 5 to 10
minutes more. Crust should be pale.

FOR FILLING: Stir yolks and set bowl in a place convenient to the
stove.

In a heavy saucepan, whisk flour, cornstarch, sugar, and milk until
free of lumps. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil,
stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring fast and getting
into the corners of the pot.

Remove from heat and whisk a little of the milk into the egg yolks,
then pour the tempered yolks into the hot milk. Continue to cook
another FULL 2 minutes, stirring constantly. If lumps form, strain
into a bowl.

Pour into a bowl and add butter, banana liqueur, and vanilla,
stirring to cool. Press plastic wrap onto surface to prevent a skin
from forming. Set filling aside while you prepare the bananas.

FOR CARAMALIZED BANANAS: Place butter and brown sugar in large
skillet; slice in the bananas. Heat over medium-high heat until
butter melts and sugar begins to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Don’t
over-mush the bananas. Shake the pan to distribute bananas instead of
bruising them with a tool. (If you must use a tool, use a rubber
spatula.) With heat high, pour in liqueur all at once. Ignite with a
match and let flame subside by itself. Pour bananas onto a jelly-roll
pan to cool quickly.

TO ASSEMBLE: Line the baked pie shell with cooled bananas. Top with
filling (which may still be warm). Wrap pie in plastic and
refrigerate until filling sets, about 6 hours.

In a cold bowl, with cold beaters, whip the cream, sugar, and liqueur
to stiff peaks. Pipe from a pastry bag fitted with a large
star-shaped tip with a wide opening. You will have lots of whipped
cream, so the designs can be big, even garish. Make rows, rounds,
mounds, or swirls. Chill again, and keep cold until serving.

To slice wedges, use a smooth knife dipped in a tall glass of hot
water, then wiped dry.