Banana Cream Tart

Well, it is official. It is summer and we had better weather in January. So that means not a lot of outside time and that means more baking.
My friend Jim (aka Big Daddy) had a birthday on Saturday and I whipped up this tart for him. I have made him a couple of pies, but the last one didn't set up so I was a little nervous. After doing a little digging I found a new recipe on Martha's site and decided to give it a try. I tweaked it a little bit and it turned out great.
Instead of using a graham cracker or regular pie crust I had some left over dough from a tart I made a couple of weeks ago. Being lazy I used that and was pleasantly surprised how nicely it baked up and tasted. Overall a pretty easy dish to whip up.
Enjoy :0)

Banana Cream Tart
For the crust ~ this makes enough for two 10" tarts

• 1/4 C heavy cream
• 1 large egg, plus one yolk
• 1/2 vanilla
• 2 1/3 C flour
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 3/4 C butter chilled and cut up

Mix the cream, eggs and vanilla. set aside
In a food processor pulse flour, sugar, b. powder and butter until it looks coarse meal
Slowly add the cream mixture until the dough comes together
Divide dough into 2 disks and chill (or freeze up to 3 months)
Using one of the disks, press into a 10" tart pan and bake for 10-15 min. at 400 degrees
Cool completely before filling

For the filling ~ you will have about a C left over, no worries, it makes a nice snack

• 5 large yolks
• 1/2 C sugar
• 3 T cornstarch
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 1/2 C whole milk
• 2 t banana extract
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 4 T butter cut up
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 C lemon line type soda (use to keep the bananas from browning)

Whisk together yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch. set aside

Bring milt to milk to just boiling. Temper eggs and add to milk

Mix over medium heat until thickened.

Remove from heat and add butter one T at a time and vanilla and banana extracts.

Slice bananas and line tart crust. Pour filling over bananas and chill for at least 2 hours.

Garnish with whipped cream and banana slices

Liquid Sunshine

The Pacific Northwest has been especially rainy the past few days. As usual, our holiday weekend was spent hunkered down inside. Wouldn't have been so bad except we were 9 in a cabin built for 4. Good times.

I don't know if this spring has been any wetter than other springs, but with summer just around the corner, these week long rain storms just seem kind of cruel. I finally got my garden going, but it has been dumping buckets, so I haven't been able to work out there. I guess the good news is that I don't have to worry about watering.

If you have any spare sunshine in your neck of the woods, please feel free to send some our way.

:0)