Posted by Jane Cherry on 11/26/04.

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This is the staple Thanksgiving pie in our household. Originally from CL, I don't do the low fat version pasted here. You can certainly use whole milk, and I usually make at least a 10" deep dish pie to get two days out of it.

Black Bottom Banana-Cream Pie
From Cooking Light


1 (9-inch) Pastry Crust (I always make Julia Child's Blind Baked Pie Crust in The Way To Cook)
3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
Dash of salt
1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ounces block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 cups sliced ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
1 1/2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Chocolate curls (optional)

Prepare and bake Pastry Crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons sugar, cocoa, and dash of salt in a small, heavy saucepan; gradually add 1/3 cup milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 2 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in chocolate; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spread chocolate mixture into bottom of prepared crust.

Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, eggs, 1 cup milk, and margarine in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook 30 seconds or until thick. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Beat cream cheese until light (about 30 seconds). Add 1/4 cup hot custard to cream cheese, and beat just until blended. Stir in remaining custard.

Arrange banana slices on top of chocolate layer; spoon custard over bananas. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard; chill 4 hours. Remove plastic wrap. Spread whipped topping evenly over custard. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. Chill until ready to serve.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 315(29% from fat); FAT 10.1g(sat 4.8g,mono 3.4g,poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 6.9g; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 94mg; SODIUM 253mg; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.6g

Greg Patent
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1998

Always trust a skinny chef