Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Best Dessert Secrets

Are you curious about my most requested desserts? Well, the most popular ones are my signature vanilla cake for events and red velvet cake balls for casual occasions. But, there is one other dessert that stands above the others, especially in the summer, and that is... banana cream pie!

What makes this refreshing treat so amazing? I'm going to share the love and spill some of my secrets!

Your average banana cream pie is layered in a standard pastry pie shell. The buttery, flaky crust can be good, but I think my Nilla Wafer crumb crust elevates the banana cream pie to a new level.

It's like taking the best parts of a southern banana pudding and transforming them into a masterpiece. Don't forget the added bonus that a crumb crust is so much easier to make than a pastry crust! You never have to worry that your ingredients won't be cold enough or that you've over mixed the dough. Just mix, press, and bake.

The vanilla custard filling of a banana cream pie is pretty simple. I promise there is no need to cheat with a boxed pudding mix. Use a recipe that incorporates real ingredients like milk, sugar, and egg yolks, and you're on your way to a good pie. For that extra special touch, I use real vanilla beans scraped right out of the pod instead of vanilla extract. Speaking of vanilla beans, I buy them in bulk online and have used them to make my own vanilla extract, too. You should give it a try.

And by all means, please make your own fresh whipped cream! It really is worth the extra effort to get that light, fluffy, not too sweet topping to finish off your pie.

If you still think you're not cut out for cooking, I can always make this delicious pie for you. :)