Banana Cream

Directions

1. 1
   Combine the bananas, cream, and milk in a blender and puree until totally smooth.
2. 2
   Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks and continue to blend until homogenous.
3. 3
   Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.
4. 4
   Clean the blender canister.
5. 5
   Bloom the gelatin (see page 29).
6. 6
   Whisk the contents of the pan and heat over medium-low heat.
7. 7
   As the banana mixture heats up, it will thicken.
8. 8
   Bring to a boil and then continue to whisk vigorously for 2 minutes to fully cook out the starch.
9. 9
   The mixture will resemble thick glue, bordering on cement, with a color to match.
10. 10
    Dump the contents of the pan into the blender.
11. 11
    Add the bloomed gelatin and the butter and blend until the mixture is smooth and even.
12. 12
    Color the mixture with yellow food coloring until it is a bright cartoon-banana yellow.
13. 13
    (Its a ton of coloring, I know, but banana creams dont get that brilliant yellow color on their own.
14. 14
    Womp.)
15. 15
    Transfer the banana mixture to a heatsafe container, and put in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutesas long as it takes to cool completely.
16. 16
    Using a whisk or a mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and confectioners sugar to medium-soft peaks.
17. 17
    (When you pull the whisk away from the whipped cream, the mounds of cream hold their shape softly.)
18. 18
    Add the cold banana mixture to the whipped cream and slowly whisk until evenly colored and homogenous.
19. 19
    Stored in an airtight container, banana cream keeps fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge.
20. 20
    Powdered gelatin can be substituted for the sheet gelatin: use 1 teaspoon.
21. 21
    Banana cream is used in the Banana Layer Cake (page 193).
22. 22
    The cream also tastes great when layered with Cereal Milk Panna Cotta (page 37).