Fun Food Friday- Banana Cream Pie & Chocolate Chip Meringues

One of my favorite pies is Banana Cream.  And I have discovered that it is not that hard to make and I almost always have all the ingredients in my house.  So if I have at least 3 bananas that are about to go bad, I a lot of times just turn them into a Banana Cream Pie.  This recipe calls for 3 egg yolks.  It always bothers me when I make the pie that I throw away 3 perfectly good egg whites, so today I decided to use them to make these meringue cookies I had a recipe for in the cookbook I got from my aunts for a wedding shower.  They turned out great.  I gave some to a friend of mine who has Celiac Disease (so she can't have any gluten) and she loved them, ate them all in a 24 hour period (which I don't recommend because she said she felt pretty sick from all the sugar:)).  So here you go- Banana Cream Pie & Chocolate Chip Meringues, Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:  Sugar, Flour, Milk, Egg Yolks, Butter, Vanilla Extract, Bananas, Pie Crust, & Salt (which I just realized I forgot to put in the picture)

You needed a baked pie crust.  I absolutely love using a homemade pie crust, they really are not that hard to make and are so much better than a store bought one.  For a recipe for a really easy crust go here. 

So you have your baked pie crust.

 

Now for the filling...In a saucepan combine 3/4 cup sugar...

1/3 cup flour...

And 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

 

Add 2 cups of milk...

And stir till it's all combined

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly...

 

until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

 

Separate 3 eggs.  You will be using the egg yolks for this recipe

You need to temper the eggs (if you just add the eggs right away you'll end up with scrambled eggs in your pie :)).  To do this add some of the hot mixture into the egg yolks...

And stir, stir, stir

Then add the egg mixture to the saucepan

Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Then remove from heat

Add 2 Tablespoons of butter...

And 1 teaspoon of vanilla

 

Stir until the butter is all melted.  Cool slightly

Cut up three bananas into the baked pie crust

 

Pour the filling over the bananas...

And spread evenly.  Chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving.

Before serving cover filling with Cool Whip.  You can just put the Cool Whip on with a spatula, but I like to put it on with a frosting tip to make it look nice a pretty.  I use a star tip.

See, so pretty :)

Oh, that looks so good.  I'm so bummed that I made this a couple of days ago and it's all gone now. :)

 

 

Banana Cream Pie

1 pie crust, baked

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 medium bananas

Cool Whip

 

In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt;  stir in milk and mix well.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil; boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount into the egg yolks; return all to saucepan.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly; remove from heat.  Add butter and vanilla; cool slightly.  Slice the bananas into the crust; pour filling over.  Chill for 3-4 hours.  Before service top with Cool Whip.

 



Chocolate Chip Meringues
Like I said earlier, it always hate throwing away the 3 egg whites I don't use for the pie, so this time I decided to make these Meringues I had a recipe for.  They turned out great so I thought I'd share it with you. 

Ingredients:  Egg Whites, Sugar, Salt, Vanilla Extract, Chocolate Chips 

Pour 3 egg whites into a very clean mixer bowl

 

Use the whisk attachment

 

Whisk the egg whites until stiff

They will turn a nice fluffy white 

 

Add 1 1/2 cups sugar very gradually

Till it's nice and smooth 

 

Change to the paddle attachment

Add 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt...

(since you get 3 egg whites out of the pie recipe I had to do 1 and 1/2 the recipe so that's why the 1/4 + 1/8 :))

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla...

And 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

And mix on low until it's all incorporated

Put on greased cookie sheet

Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.

 

Chocolate Chip Meringues

3 egg whites

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

 

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Add sugar gradually.  Fold in the remaining ingredients.  Put on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.