Closed Banana Pudding Pie

Banana Pudding Pie


INGREDIENTS
For the crust:
1 (12-ounce) box vanilla-flavored wafer-style cøøkíés, preferably Nilla Wafers
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
4 yolks from large eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the pie:
2 large bananas, peeled and sliced medium thin
4 whites from large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS
To make the crust:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Set aside 20 of the cøøkíés. Add the remaining cøøkíés to a food processor, and pulse 8 to 10 times, or until they’re coarsely crushed (you should have about 2 1/2 cups of crumbs.) Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until blended. Firmly press the crumb mixture onto the bottom, up sides, and onto the lip of your pie dish.
2. Bake the crust until it’s lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool thoroughly, about 30 minutes. Keep the oven at 350°F.

To make the filling:

1. Add the sugar, flour, eggs, yolks, and milk to a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches the thickness of chilled pudding, about 8 to 10 minutes. The mixture will just begin to bubble, and should be thick enough to hold soft peaks when you lift the whisk from the pan.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside.

To assemble and bake the pie:

1. Arrange the banana slices evenly over the bottom of the cooled crust. Spread half of the warm filling over the bananas and top with the 20 reserved cøøkíés. Spread the remaining filling over the cøøkíés (don’t worry if it seems like there’s too much filling—the filling should rise about 1/4 inch higher than the crust’s top edge).
2. With a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites on high speed until they’re foamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and the sugar has dissolved, to form a meringue. Spread the meringue evenly over the pie filling and all the way to the rim of the crust, making sure there’s no gap around the edges.
3. Bake until the meringue topping is golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack until completely cool, about 1 hour. Transfer to the fridge to chill thoroughly, at least 4 hours.

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