Mini Banana Cream Pie with Pastry Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare pie crusts by breaking the graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the crackers are the size of large peas.
Add sugar, cinnamon, pecans and white chocolate. Pulse again until the mixture is like coarse sand. Drizzle in the melted butter and blend in evenly without over processing the graham crackers (preferably by hand). Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Press the graham cracker mixture into 6 to 8 ramekins or mini tart molds. You may also use muffin tins if you want very mini crusts. The crust should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chocolate is melted and the nuts are toasted. Check frequently to make sure you do not burn or scorch the nuts.

To prepare the pastry cream filling, pour the milk into a sauce pan. Split the vanilla bean in half length wise and scrape the beans into the milk. Add the vanilla pod to the milk, as well. Bring the milk to a simmer. Immediately remove the milk from the heat and set aside for the vanilla to steep, about 15 minutes.

Beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together until the egg yolks thicken and lighten in color.

Return the milk to the heat and bring the temperature back up to a simmer. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring about 1/3 of the milk mixture into the eggs while whisking vigorously. Slowly pour the rest of the milk mixture into the eggs while whisking. Then, return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly until he mixture is just about to boil. Remove it from the heat and strain the mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the butter.

Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic touches the surface of the cream so that it does not form a “skin” as it cools. Set the bowl in an ice bath until it chills then place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.

When ready to serve, whip the cream and caster sugar (or powdered sugar) together until the cream begins to thicken. Add the vanilla extract and continue whipping until the cream reaches the stiff peak stage.

To assemble the Mini Banana Cream Pies, place a pie crust on a the plate. Spoon pastry cream filling into the crust. Slice bananas and place the desired amount over the pastry cream. Drizzle pie and plate with caramel sauce. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with white chocolate shavings (optional).

The melted chocolate in the crust will make them firmer than usual so that they can stand alone on the plate.