Rainy Day Pie

It is raining today, gloomy and sad. The puppy is whining because she wants to go out and all we have been cranky here in the office so I made a pie to turn things around. Who can be sad with a sunny walnut maple banana cream pie? Not a soul... Ok, I know banana cream in November is weird but we will all get our fill of pecan and pumpkin in a few weeks. I figured I would make it and let my critics (shifty eyes) eat cake.

The recipe is the based off basic Banana cream pie from my trusty (yet abused) Betty Crocker book.

Walnut Maple Banana Cream Pie

¼-cup cornstarch
¾-cup sugar
3 cups whole milk
4 slightly beaten egg yolks
1 T butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 baked and cooled 9 in. pastry shell
¾-cup walnuts
4 medium bananas
2 T reduced maple syrup

Separate room temperature eggs in a small bowl, Beat egg yolks lightly.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
Gradually stir in 1 cup of the hot filling into the yolks. Return all to saucepan; bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Stir in butter and vanilla.
Layer bottom of pastry shell with three tablespoons chopped walnuts. Pour half the hot filling into the baked pastry shell. Top first layer of filling with sliced banana. Gently add remaining filling over banana layer. Let pie cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Pour maple syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a light boil. Boil until is the consistency of corn syrup. (I cannot tell you how long it takes because I have never timed it.)
Top cooled pie with remaining sliced bananas and lightly chopped walnuts. Drizzle maple syrup over top to your liking.Cover and chill to store. Makes 8 servings