Creamy Chocolate Cream Pie

1. Place chocolate in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk sugar and cornstarch to combine. Whisk in egg yolks until mixture is pale yellow and smooth, about 1 minute.
   

2. In a medium saucepan, bring milk and vanilla extract to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly pour milk into egg yolk mixture in a thin stream, until all of it has been added. Return mixture to same saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Continue to whisk, pausing every few seconds to check for bubbles, about 1 minute. When it begins to bubble, set a timer and continue whisking for 1 minute. (This helps neutralize amylase, a starch-dissolving protein in egg yolks.)
   

3. Remove from heat. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain custard over chocolate and whisk until combined. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

5. In a large bowl, toss chocolate wafer crumbs with butter to evenly coat. Scrape crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and, using flat-bottomed drinking glass or measuring cup, compress firmly until crumbs are in a compact, even layer across bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake until crust is is fragrant and firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

6. Starting in the center of the cooled blind-baked crust, set down a single banana slice, then arrange in concentric circles of banana slices around it in a single, even layer until you fully cover the bottom of the crust.

7. Remove chocolate mixture from fridge and whisk until smooth. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or using a large bowl and an electric hand mixer, whip cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, fold cream into chocolate mixture until incorporated and no streaks remain. Scrape filling into prepared pie shell and chill until set, about 3 hours.

8. When ready to serve, garnish with remaining sliced bananas.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh sieve, 9-inch pie plate, wire rack, stand mixer or hand mixer

Notes

Chocolate wafers can be finely ground in a food processor. Alternatively, chocolate wafers can be placed in a large zip-top bag and crushed with a rolling pin or wine bottle until finely ground.