Food writer shares recipes to celebrate National Banana Cream Pie Day

WINNIPEG — You may not know it, but Monday is National Banana Cream Pie Day.

To celebrate this unique holiday Global Winnipeg’s Morning News was joined by Manitoba food writer Shel Zolkewich who shared her favourite banana cream pie recipe and how to make a coffee that pairs well with the pie.

Zolkewich’s recipes for banana cream pie and nutty coconut coffee are below:

Nutty Coconut Coffee

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups freshly brewed dark roast coffee
• 2 oz coconut flavoured rum
• 2 oz Frangelico or another hazelnut liqueur
• Gay Lea Real Coconut Whipped Cream

Directions:

1. Stir coffee with rum and liqueur.
2. Pour into two dessert coffee mugs.
3. Top with a generous amount of coconut whipped cream.
4. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Courtesy Gay Lea Foods

The Ultimate Chocolate Coconut Banana Cream Pie

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Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup each cocoa powder and granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cold, cubed Gay Lea salted butter
• 1 egg yolk

Filling:

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 tbsp Gay Lea salted butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 bananas, thinly sliced
• 1 canister Gay Lea coconut whipped cream
• Toasted coconut

Directions:

Crust:

1. Pulse flour with cocoa, sugar, coconut and salt in a food processor. Pulse in butter until finely crumbed. Whisk egg yolk with 2 tbsp (30 mL) ice water; pulse into flour mixture until it clumps together.
2. Press dough evenly into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) up the sides of a 10-inch (25 cm) springform pan. Prick with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake, on a lower rack, for 15 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature.

Filling:

1. Whisk milk with sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often, until thickened. Whisk some of the hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Whisk back into remaining milk. Cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.
2. Line cooled shell with bananas. Pour hot filling over top to cover bananas completely. Cool to room temperature; chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before serving, remove ring and arrange on serving platter. Pipe coconut whipped cream to cover custard completely and garnish with toasted coconut.

Alternates:

• Use a pre-made graham cracker pie shell
• Add a layer of shaved dark chocolate on top of the banana layer

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Courtesy Gay Lea Foods