Ingredient: extra gingersnap crumbs for garnish

It’s hard to pin down the origin of banana cream pie, but it seems adding bananas to the pie happened around the end of the 19th century, when bananas went from exotic to commonplace. Until then, most North Americans have never seen, never mind eaten, a banana.

The turning point in the banana business came with technological advances in transportation and refrigeration. Steamships and railroad cars brought the fruit to market faster, and refrigeration slowed the ripening process. The combination was a bonanza for the industry.

One of the earliest known published recipes for banana cream pie called for sliced bananas and powdered sugar placed in a pre-baked pie shell. The ‘Woman’s Exchange Cook Book’ from 1901 advises cooks to then put the filled pie in the oven for a few minutes and then remove it once the bananas have been softened. After the pie is removed from the oven, the cookbook instructs the cook to cover the filling with whipped cream and to flavor it with lemon juice.

A recipe published just five years later in ‘The Blue-Ribbon Cookbook’ provided a banana and custard filling, but the two were not blended together into today’s familiar, creamy banana filling. Instead, sliced bananas lined the bottom of the crust, and the custard was poured over it. By 1950 we get a version covered with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

An old fashioned dessert , but one of the most comforting treats, banana cream pie offers a rich, sweet and velvety filling. If you like bananas like I do, it’s one of those desserts where you put a spoonful in your mouth and can’t help but lean back and close your eyes as you savor the buttery crust and creamy filling.

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Banana Cream Pie Cookie Cups

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Rating: 5
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Cuisine

American

Keyword

banana cream pie cookie cups

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Base

• 1 1/4 cups crisp ginger snap cookie crumbs
• 3-4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Cookie Cups

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter,
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour

Banana Cream Mousse Filling

• 96 gm (3.4 oz) pkg banana cream instant pudding
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup whipped topping
• 1-2 bananas, sliced
• extra gingersnap crumbs for garnish

Cuisine American Keyword banana cream pie cookie cups Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Base 1 1/4 cups crisp ginger snap cookie crumbs 3-4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted Cookie Cups 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter, 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup sour cream 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 cups flour Banana Cream Mousse Filling 96 gm (3.4 oz) pkg banana cream instant pudding 1/2 cup milk 1 cup whipped topping 1-2 bananas, sliced extra gingersnap crumbs for garnish

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Base

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper cups.
2. Use a food processor to grind gingersnap cookies into a fine crumb. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl until melted. Combine melted butter with cookie crumbs and stir until there are no dry crumbs left. Divide ginger snap crumbs between the 12 muffin cups. Press down with a spoon or tart shaper.

Cookie Cups

1. Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla, mix again, then add the sour cream, salt and soda. Add flour and beat until smooth.
2. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until they test done with a wooden pick.
4. Allow cookies to stand for 1-2 minutes after taking them out of the oven. Spray the round side of a 1 tsp measuring spoon with non-stick spray. Press down into the center of each cookie to create a well. Let cool completely.

Banana Cream Mousse Filling

1. While the cookie cups are cooling, prepare the banana cream mousse filling. Whisk together the box of dry pudding mix and the milk. Add in the whipped topping and stir GENTLY until combined. Transfer to a pastry bag or a zip lock bag and store in the fridge until the cookies are fully cool.
2. Take cookie cups out of muffin tin. Pipe banana cream mousse into each cup and top with a slice of banana. Sprinkle with a small amount of gingersnap cookie crumbles.
3. Store in the refrigerator.