Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Crust:

• 1 ½ c. chocolate wafer or chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar

Filling:

• 3 c. half and half, divided
• ⅔ c. granulated sugar
• ⅛ tsp. fine sea salt
• ¼ c. cornstarch
• 4 large egg yolks
• 5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 small bananas, peeled and cut into ¼ inch thick rounds
• whipped cream, for serving
• chocolate or bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie pan.

To make crust: Combine all crust ingredients in a medium bowl until evenly moistened. Press firmly and evenly over bottom and up sides of pan. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make filling: Heat 2 1/2 c. of half-and-half with sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve sugar, until simmering. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle cornstarch over remaining 1/2 c. half-and-half in a small bowl and whisk until dissolved. Whisk egg yolks in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in cornstarch mixture. Gradually whisk in hot half-and-half mixture.

Rinse out saucepan and return mixture to pan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let bubble, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Let stand for 3 minutes, then whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Spread sliced bananas in bottom of cooled crust. Pour filling over bananas and smooth top. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on filling to keep a skin from forming. Let cool completely. Refrigerate until filling is chilled and set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Spread the whipped cream over filling. (If you wish, transfer whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe cream rosettes onto pie.) Garnish with chocolate shavings, if using. Slice and serve chilled.