Chocolate Banana Cream Pie Squares

In 1999 we threw our first party as a couple. We all lived safely and sound in the on-campus dorms that year. So when an older friend asked us to house-sit in a nearby country town, we were ecstatic. We went grocery shopping, stocked up on booze and movies, and settled into a very cozy cape in Durham for a weekend playing grown-ups. After twenty-four hours of quiet housekeeping, we were bored and called our friends at college to come up for a party. We decided we would only serve food on sticks. Corn dogs, chicken satay, popsicles and frozen chocolate covered bananas. Classy? You bet.This dessert evokes that chocolately banana goodness as well as the vanilla pudding icebox cake I remember my dad diligently working on after dinner. What a sweet treat!

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie Squares
Adapted from a recipe on Mouth From The South

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers
• 1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Irish Whiskey
• 2-3 ripe bananas, sliced
• Whipped cream, for topping

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine crushed cookies, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon. Press mixture into an  8 x 8 -inch baking pan. Bake 7-10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown.

Over a double boiler or in the microwave, melt chocolate and cream, stirring until it has a smooth, shiny consistency. Pour/spread over baked crust and place in the freezer while you prepare the next steps.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Stir in flour and salt.

In a saucepan over medium-low, heat milk. Slowly add milk to egg yolk mixture, whisking until well combined. Return to the saucepan and whisk continuously, until large bubbles form and the mixture is a thick pudding. Stir in vanilla and whiskey.

Cover the chocolate layer with sliced bananas. Pour the pudding over the bananas. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream.

Tagged as: banana, bars, chocolate, dessert, pie, trashy dessert

About the Author: Jillian Bedell

Jillian grew up in Connecticut, went to university in Boston, college in New Haven, did some post-grad soul searching in New York, exiled herself to Mexico, married her longtime sweetheart, and lived in a house on the ocean. She suspected Maine might be the perfect place to raise a family, so she came back home to New England two years ago. Now a mom to Violet Maeve and living in Rockland, where she hopes to settle for a good, long while, Jillian reads, writes, walks, and practices Nia, when not watching Malcolm photograph sandwiches.