Pie Dough:

1. Mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor by pulsing a few times, or whisk together in a large bowl.  Add cold diced butter to the flour and use the food processor, or a pastry cutter, to cut the butter into the flour until the butter is well coated and about the size of large pebbles. 

2. Add in half of the ice cold water, then quickly pulse/mix a few times to begin incorporating.  Continue adding the remaining cold water and pulsing/mixing just until the dough begins to come together, being careful not to overmix.  The dough should hold together when pressed between your fingers but should not feel wet.  (You may not need all of the liquid.)

3. Dump the dough out onto a clean surface and knead together gently to form a large ball.  Press the dough ball into a 1-inch thick disk.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to a few days.  

4. Blind Bake Crust: Roll dough out to roughly a 12” circle on a floured surface.  Place into a 9” pie pan and gently ease the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan.  Trim the excess dough around the edges so it is about ½ inch beyond the lip of the pie pan.  Tuck the overhang under itself so it is even with the edge of the pan.  Crimp the outside edge of the dough as desired.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

5. Heat the oven to 425°F.  Dock the bottom & sides of the chilled pie shell all over with a fork.  Next, line with aluminum foil, covering the edges to prevent burning, and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 15 minutes, the pie dough should begin to look dry and light golden brown in color.  Remove foil and pie weights and continue baking for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is dry, crisp and golden in color.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Banana Pastry Cream:

1. While the pie crust is baking, peel and slice 2 bananas ½” thick.  Melt 1 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Add in the bananas and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the whole milk and heavy cream and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 45-60 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks and salt until smooth.  Whisk in the cornstarch.  Next, strain in the cooled milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer and whisk until incorporated.  (Do not press on the bananas.)  Discard the cooked bananas.

3. Return mixture to a clean saucepan and cook over medium heat, gently whisking, until the mixture has thickened to the texture of thick pudding.  Remove from the heat and whisk in remaining 2 tbsp softened butter and vanilla extract.  Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the filling.  Let cool for 1 hour.

Assembly:

1. Peel and slice the remaining two or three bananas ¼” thick, and brush each slice with orange (or lemon) juice to reduce browning.  Whisk the banana pastry cream filling a few times to loosen, then spread a thin layer over the bottom of the cooled crust.  Arrange sliced bananas over the thin layer of filling, covering the bottom of the pie.  Spread the remaining pastry cream over the top and smooth the surface.  Cover again with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is set, about 4 hours or overnight.  Prior to serving, layer the top of the pie with more sliced bananas and fresh whipped cream. 

Whipped Cream:

1. Use a hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on a medium high speed until stiff peaks form.  Spread or pipe the whipped cream on top of the pie.