Mini Banana Cream Pies with Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe

Pastry Cream:

1. In a medium saucepan combine milk, cream, ¼ cup sugar and salt. Bring mixture to a light boil over medium heat, while whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let rest for several minutes.

2. Meanwhile in a medium mixing bowl whisk together ½ cup sugar with cornstarch then add in egg and egg yolks. Using an electric hand mixer set on low speed whip mixture for 1 minute until pale and fluffy 

3. While whisking egg mixture, add ⅔ cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture. Then while whisking milk mixture in a saucepan pour egg mixture into saucepan.

4. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 4 to 8 minutes until it has thickened well, whisking vigorously near the end to prevent lumps. 

5. Mixture should become like a thick pudding, if it starts to separate remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer to smooth. Remove mixture from heat, stir in vanilla and immediately force through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium mixing bowl.

6. Cover with plastic wrap, while pressing plastic directly on surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in refrigerator for about 4 hours until chilled through.

Crust:

1. In a mixing bowl whisk together graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Pour in melted butter and stir until evenly moistened.

Whipped Cream Topping:

1. In a large mixing bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form, add 3½ tablespoons sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Chill until ready to assemble then transfer to a large pastry bag fitted with a star pastry tip.

Assemble:

1. Divide graham cracker mixture among 12 small dessert cups, adding about 2 tablespoons to each and gently press into an even layer. Add 3 banana slices over graham cracker layer in each. 

2. Transfer chilled pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe over banana layer. 

3. Add 3 more banana slices on top of each. Spoon a scant 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce over second banana layer. 

4. Pipe whipped cream over caramel layer then sprinkle with chocolate shavings if desired. Store in refrigerator up to 2 hours before serving and garnish with a banana slice just before serving.