Decadent Banana Caramel Cream Delight

Prepare the Pie Crust: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Cut in the chilled unsalted butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, mixing until just combined. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Roll out the dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it gently into the plate. Trim the edges and dock the bottom with a fork. Line with foil and fill with pie weights, then bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the Pastry Cream: In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, and flour. Gradually whisk in the whole milk over medium-low heat. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Once the milk mixture thickens and starts to boil, temper the yolks by adding 1/2 cup of the mixture to them, whisking continuously. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Strain the mixture to remove any lumps, then stir in butter, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of sliced bananas. Allow to cool.

Assemble the Pie: Cover the bottom of the cooled pie crust with additional sliced bananas and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the prepared salted caramel sauce. Spoon half of the pastry cream over the bananas, smoothing it out. Repeat the layering with the remaining bananas and pastry cream. Chill the pie for at least 2 hours to set the filling.

Prepare the Topping: In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and vanilla extract, whipping until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pie and drizzle with additional salted caramel sauce just before serving.