Chocolate Cream Banana Pie

Today was a lovely rainy/snowy day. The perfect kind of day to spend at home and stay in bed cuddling. It's best to have the lights off, the shades drawn in and the TV on low. Low enough to hear the occasional taps of rain on the window and high enough to follow along in the show. If only.

This pie was made the Friday night and refrigerated for Saturday Night, to allow it plenty of time to set. I only had a problem trying to find the trans-free spread. I didn't know what it was. When I goggled it, images of butter was what came up. This definitely needs to be remade and hopefully not forget next time.

Books: Doña Barbara by Romulo Gallegos. I have no idea why I haven't read this. Laziness I guess.

iTunes: Tegan & Sara - I Bet it Stung

Pandora: OutKast - Hey Ya!

Quote: Be at peace with your own soul, then Heaven and Earth will be at peace with you. - St. Jerome

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup all-fiber cereal, very finely crushed
2. 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
3. 1 1/2 Tbsp trans-free spread
4. 1/4 cup brown sugar
5. 2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
6. 1 egg
7. 2 cups fat-free milk
8. 2 oz of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
9. 1 tsp Vanilla extract
10. 1 ripe but firm banana
11. 8 Tbsp whipped cream

Servings: 8
Per Serving: 144 Cal, 4g pro, 20g carb, 3g fiber, 7g fat, 3g sat fat, 67mg sodium

Directions:

1. Coat 9" pie with cooking spray. Mix cereal crumbs and cinnamon in small bowl with fork. Cut in spread until well blended. Transfer to prepared pan. Tilt pan to coat sides with crumbs. Press remaining crumbs with knuckles to flatten evenly. Freeze crust 30 minutes.

• I used the blender to crush the fiber cereal and forgot to add the trans-free spread. While it froze I went to shower.
2. Whisk sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Beat egg with fork in medium bowl. Add milk and stir to blend. Add to saucepan, whisking constantly over medium-low heat until blended. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat about 5 minutes, or until thickened.

• After a while my hand was hurting and so my mom took over. 
3. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla extract. Stir until chocolate melts. Cover pudding with plastic wrap and let cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent skin from forming.

• I don't think I added enough chocolate. How many cups is one oz?
4. Slice banana thinly. Arrange slices on bottom and sides of reserved crust. Dollop cooled pudding on top of banana slices and smooth. Refrigerate at least 5 hours, or until set. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired.

• We didn't have a proper bowl but we worked with what we had.
• Saturday night, I took a piece, placed whip cream on top and took a bite. The crust just stayed on the pan because I didn't add the butter to it, but the rest was delicious. Will be made again though to taste the crust.