Emeril's Banana Cream Pie

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare custard filling, in a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1 c. of the heavy cream. Whisk to blend well. Set aside. Combine the remaining 2 c. cream, the sugar, and the vanilla bean in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and bring to a gentle boil, about 10 min. Slowly add in the egg yolk mix, whisking constantly till it thickens, about 5 min. Be forewarned: the mix will break. Do not be alarmed. Pour it into a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap down over the surface of the mix to prevent a skin from forming. Let cold completely at room temperature.
3. When cooled, remove the vanilla bean and pour the mix into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip. Beat at medium speed to combine the mix. If it won't combine, hot another 1/2 c. heavy cream and slowly add in it to the mix. Whip till you have a thick and creamy custard.
4. To prepare pie crust, in a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and mashed banana. Mix thoroughly. Add in the butter and mix well. Press the mix into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake till browned, about 25 min. Remove the pan from the oven and cold, for about 10 min.
5. To assemble, spread about 1/2 c. of the custard on the bottom of the crust. Arrange about a third of the banana slices, crowding them close together, over the custard. Next, spread 1 c. of the custard over the bananas. Arrange another third of the banana slices close together over the custard. Top with 1 c. of the custard and the banana slices. Top with the remaining custard, covering the bananas completely to prevent them from turning brown. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigeratefor at least 4 hrs.
6. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with a drizzle of caramel and chocolate sauce. Top with the whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
7. This recipe yields one 9-inch pie.