Chocolate Banana Cream Tart
I’ve been in a little bit of baking (and blogging) rut. Maybe you noticed. I love to blog, but sometimes my baking just doesn’t turn out like I wanted and then the posts I had planed to write never happen. Like the lemon raspberry muffins I made with a friend that I burned. Or the cookies I made the other night that I added way too much butter to because I couldn’t do math properly. Those cookies weren’t very good.
But you know what is good? This chocolate banana cream tart. It turned out just fine.
I woke up yesterday to a day with no plans (I love that) and I vowed to get back on track. First was the pate sablee, or sweet tart dough, and that came together almost without a hitch. Then there was the delicious banana pastry cream, and the chocolate ganache, the sliced bananas, and finally the sweetened whipped cream. All of the pieces were assembled and when I put them together something almost magical happened.
It was delicious.
I have a love-hate relationship with bananas. Sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them. I absolutely loved them in this tart. I was transported back in time to childhood family gatherings where banana cream pie was abundant. This version is slightly more sophisticated thanks to the chocolate ganache but it still harks back to its earlier predecessors. The flavors are simple, but the chocolate together with the creamy banana filling was meant to be.
This chocolate banana cream tart made me happy. I’m back in the game, and it feels (and tastes) very good.
Chocolate Banana Cream Tart
Ingredients
For the sweet tart dough:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter , cold and cut into cubes
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
For the banana pastry cream:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 small banana
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the chocolate ganache:
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate , chopped
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
For assembly:
- 1 banana , sliced
- 1½ cup sweetened whipped cream
Instructions
To make the tart dough:
- Butter a nine inch tart pan and preheat oven to 375° F.
- Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the size of small peas. Add the egg yolk and whipping cream and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Pour out into the greased tart pan and carefully press it into the pan. Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer.
- Bake it for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned. I lined my shells with pie weights and took them off for the last 5 minutes of baking to get a good color. Cool on a wire rack completely.
To make the pastry cream:
- Heat the ¾ cup milk and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining butter in a separate bowl. Whisk together the cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup milk together and add to the egg mixture. When the milk starts to bubble at the edges, remove from heat and add in a slow steady stream to the egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. When the custard is thick, remove from heat and add the vanilla.
- Mash together the lemon juice and banana. If the banana isn't soft enough, pulse it in a food processor. You want a smooth, lump-free mixture. Fold into the pastry cream. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
To make the ganache:
- Heat the heavy whipping cream over medium heat until bubbles appear at the edges. Pour over the chocolate in a medium bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
To assemble the tart:
- Remove the crust from the tart pan. Spread ganache over the bottom of the crust. Slice the bananas and cover the chocolate in concentric circles. Dollop the banana pastry cream over the bananas and spread to cover. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Chill for 15 minutes and serve. Store in the fridge.
That looks divine. I've made a very similar Strawberry Banana Cream Pie before. I love your site, Annalise! I've saved it as a favorite, so I'll be visiting often. All of your recipes are just great!
Oh goodness!! Oh, I've been craving Banana cream pie for some weird reason (I don't like bananas on their own), and this just might be the ticket. I don't know about adding the ganache, though…hmm. I love the pâte brisée recipe and the non-traditional ingredients. I will be trying out that recipe for sure.
This looks divine. I've had a simlar pastry at a nice place in town that make the shell with cocnut . . . . how does that sound? It was wonderful.
I made this last night and it was delicious. I loved the chocolate and banana combination, even though I am normally not a big banana fan. Let just say I am happy I will be out of town for the weekend, otherwise this would be gone by tonight.
I love the thin layer of chocolate at the bottom of this tart!
How long do you think this will keep in the fridge?
For the banana pastry cream, it says “Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining butter in a separate bowl.”
How much butter is this and is it melted? Sorry, am so excited to make this and just want to make sure I get everything right! I love your website!
Ok, I just re- read the paragraph and figured out you must have meant sugar instead of butter.