Thanks to a traumatic near-death experience in early childhood, I spent most of my life terrified of dogs and wary of animals in general. Ben, ever the optimist, spent eleven years subjecting me to puppy photos from the Internet and slowly inculcating me with canine facts until I acquiesced and agreed to consider a pet.
After several meet and greets, and no small amount of uncertainty on my part, we brought home Santi, a Shar-Pei/bear/hippopotamus/capybara/warthog hybrid rescue, and what do you know? He is the great love of my life. Regular features of his downy snoot in my Instagram stories have resulted in his own loyal following, and I cannot remember life before him.
As with dogs, I’ve always been doubtful of bananas and what they bring to the table. But they’re Santi’s all-time favorite treat, and his enthusiasm for the things he loves is hard to escape. This malted banana cream pie piled high with whipped cream and topped with crispy morsels is my ode to the fuzzy puddle of wrinkles that changed my perspective on so many things, dogs and bananas included. I hope you love it as much as I love Santi.
2 disks Nutella Pie Dough
MALTED CHOCOLATE PUDDING
2 egg yolks
2¼ cups (533 milliliters) milk
½ cup (56 grams) malted milk powder
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (11 grams) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces (56 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
MALTED WHIPPED CREAM
2 tablespoons (14 grams) malted milk powder
2 tablespoons (14 grams) powdered sugar
1 cup (237 milliliters) heavy cream
3 large bananas, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
FEATHER DESIGN NEEDS
Parchment paper
1-inch rhombus cutter
Paring knife
1. On a floured surface, roll 1 dough disk into a 14-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it over a 9-inch pie pan. Taking the edges of the dough, gently ease the dough into the pan, nestling it into the inner elbows of the pie pan. Trim the excess dough with kitchen shears to create a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang back under, creating an elevated edge. Crimp the dough all the way around the pie edge.
2. Freeze the pie shell solid, about 20 minutes. The pie shell can be wrapped and kept frozen for up to 3 months.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. To blind-bake, line the pie shell tightly with foil. Fill to the top with pie weights and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, until the foil no longer sticks to the dough. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake until the crust is crisp and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely before filling.
5. To make the malted chocolate pudding, whisk the egg yolks and ¼ cup (59 milliliters) of the milk in a small bowl. Set aside.
6. Sift the malted milk powder, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt into a 2-quart saucepan. With the pan over medium heat, drizzle in the remaining 2 cups (474 milliliters) milk, whisking constantly. When the mixture begins to thicken, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and fully incorporated. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, still whisking constantly, and let the mixture come to a lively boil.
7. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator. The pudding should be cold when the pie is assembled.
8. To make the malted whipped cream, sift the malted milk powder and powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Pour in the heavy cream and whip to stiff peaks with an electric mixer.
9. Chill both the pudding and the whipped cream in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the pie.
10. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on an unrimmed baking sheet.
11. On a floured surface, roll the second disk of dough into a 14-inch circle. Using a 1-inch rhombus cutter, punch out 85 shapes. Space the shapes on the parchment and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp and flaky.
12. Line the baked pie shell with a layer of banana slices. Spoon half of the chilled malted chocolate pudding over the bananas and top with another layer of banana slices. Pour in the remaining chocolate pudding and smooth the surface. Scoop the whipped cream evenly over the surface, using an offset spatula to create a few swirls and swoops. Stick the baked rhombi into the whipped cream row by row in an overlapping shingle-like fashion.
13. Keep the pie in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This pie is best consumed within 2 days.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Dough alternatives: This is a great occasion to use up extra portions of dough from other designs. Substitute 1 disk colored dough, or any other extra dough, for 1 disk of the Nutella dough for the feathered cutouts.
NOTE
Freezing is not recommended for this pie. Keep in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days.