The Midwest is once again winning me over with another perfect pie. The origins of the banana cream pie stem from the Heartland, but the first published recipe comes straight out of Minneapolis. So we are giving the Banana Cream Pie to MINNESOTA.
The first Banana Cream Pie recipe shows up in two publications around 1880 in ‘Practical Housekeeping’ and ‘Buckeye Cookery.’ Early recipes are more of a ‘banana pie’ with the addition of cream later on. ‘The North Star State’ was a leader in the dairy industry in the 1800’s and today is 6th in Dairy production in the United States. Dairy is so important to Minnesota, that their official state beverage is MILK. There’s no doubt Minnesotan’s enjoy a good cream pie😉
Layer Bananas on the bottom of a blind baked crust.
Thinking about this state reminded me of my favorite childhood books ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ The author of these stories, Laura Ingalls Wilder, wrote about her childhood growing up in the 19th century and part of that time was spent in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Throughout the series there is tremendous hardship, heartache, disease, and death, reality of the times. The struggles brought the family closer together, and the simple treasures in life gave them joy. A time when everything was made by hand, they labored the land together, cared for the animals, built the houses, sewed the clothes. I specifically remember the meals, Ma always had something on the stove top. Or the hours spent on a special birthday cake. Food was a gift that could be shared with others, bringing comfort and happiness. I remember always wanting to live in that ‘little house on the prairie.’ Maybe the books had a bigger impact on me than I ever realized. Making all these pies, using my hands, and my thoughts, and emotions and pouring them into a pie shell and then letting that spill out into the world gives me great peace. No words need to be exchanged when pie is offered. Pie is love, comfort, it’s warmth, it’s a giant hug. Times have changed, our hardships are different, but I think we still have this longing to create with our hands, like our ancestors. Whether it’s baking, knitting, woodworking, gardening, music, whatever your art may be, it’s refreshing for the soul. And sharing it with others is where the magic happens. Phew- who knew this would turn into a Little House tangent😂
Creamy pudding is poured over the bananas
I'm going to pipe homemade whipped cream into a heart shape
I still wish for the ‘little house’ out on some quiet land, perhaps not in Minnesota, I’ve heard about their winter😆 I hope to one day visit and see where the Ingalls’ Family once lived life together. For now I honor Minnesota with the creamiest, dreamiest Banana Cream Pie. The homemade custard cooks slowly over the heat until it thickens. If you’ve never made custard from scratch it’s worth your time. Sliced bananas are layered on the bottom of the buttery crust. The custard is poured into the pastry, blanketing the bananas with the smooth filling. I piped a big heart of whipped cream in the center because I loved this pie so much. I served it with crushed up banana chips to give it a little crunch. This vintage dessert is a labor of love, the process should be slow, and enjoyed, filled with love and then shared with the world❤️
Thanks for following my Pie Journey
Dig in
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