Mini Banana Cream Pies with Bacon Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until the nuts begin to brown and become fragrant, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon on a griddle or in a pan until very crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to cool. Into a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the crust, making sure to break the larger items into pieces so that they will be easier to break down. Pulse the crust ingredients until you are left with a crumb mixture that resembles wet sand.

Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or a little bit of oil. Evenly divide the crust mixture between the 12 cups and press the crumbs into a thin layer, working it as far up the sides of the cup as possible. You can use a small cup (like a shot glass) to press it in more evenly. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until it has browned a bit. Allow it to cool before filling.

To prepare the filling, put the water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top to prevent clumping. Stir the gelatin until it appears to have absorbed all of the water.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, flour and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and egg yolk. Pour the milk mixture into the sugar mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens and begins to boil, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the gelatin and the vanilla. Let the pudding come to room temperature before filling the crust.

While the pudding cools, slice the bananas, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Place about 1/2 of the banana slices in the bottom of the muffin cups. Top those slices with about half of the pudding. Top that with the remaining banana slices, then the remaining pudding. Refrigerate the pies for a couple of hours so that they can set fully.

To make the whipped cream, whisk (either by hand or with a hand mixer) whipping cream until it becomes frothy. Add the sugar and vanilla. Continue to whisk until you have stiff peaks and the mixture is thick and spoonable.

To plate, work a knife around the sides of the pie and gently remove it from the muffin tin. If some of the crust remains in the muffin cup, you can use it to garnish the plate or to sprinkle on top of the pie. Spoon the whipped cream into a plastic bag and push it into one corner. Snip the tip of the corner off with scissors and pipe a small dollop of whipped cream onto to the pie. If you like, garnish with a slice of banana.