Unfortunately, no one has seen the monkey-on-the-run in Tampa Bay for a while. I decided to make a recipe for a banana tart in homage.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of flour
2 TB sugar plus 1/2 cup
1 1/2 sticks of cold, unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp banana liqueur
2 TB cornstarch
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 oz of shelled almonds
2 ripe bananas
4 oz of heavy whipping cream (whip just before serving while it’s ice cold)
Method
Put 1 1/2 cups of flour in the food processor. Add 1 TB of the sugar. Buzz for a few seconds. Dice 1 1/2 sticks of VERY cold, unsalted butter and add to the processor. Buzz, turning on a off for a few seconds, until the mixture looks like small peas. Add 1/4 cup of very cold water with the processor running. If the dough doesn’t immediately come together. Add up to another 1/8 cup of very cold water, until the dough starts to come together and form a ball. Remove dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, form into a disc, wrap up and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, make the custard. Put about 2 inches of water in a saucepan and bring up to a simmer. In a glass bowl that will fit over a saucepan (without touching the bottom to make a double boiler) beat 2 large eggs with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 1/4 cups of whole milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp banana liqueur and 2 TB of cornstarch. Whisk to combine well, then place over the double boiler. Don’t walk away! Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until it thickens. Immediately remove it from the heat and place the custard in another bowl. Stir it for a few minutes until it cools down. Put in the fridge to chill.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the dough to fit a 9 inch tart pan and come up on the sides just above the rim of the pan (the dough will shrink). Pierce the dough with a fork all over the bottom of the pan and bake for 20 minutes or so, until a nice, golden brown color is achieved. Allow to cool.
Melt 2 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave (carefully, only a few seconds at a time and stir) or over a double boiler. Allow chocolate to cool slightly and brush the bottom of the tart with the chocolate. Place in the fridge to chill for a few minutes.
In a small frying pan, add 4 oz of whole, shelled almonds and 1 tb of sugar. Over low/medium heat, stir the almonds and allow them to caramelize slightly with the sugar. If you have a silpat, put them on that to cool slightly. Otherwise, put them straight into the food processor and buzz until the almonds are crushed. Reserve in a bowl.
Slice two ripe bananas and put them in the bottom of the tart. Add the custard on top. Allow to chill for a couple of hours, until set. Serve each slice with crushed almonds on top and a dollop of whipped cream.
