Banana Pie

For the pastry:

1. Sift the flour, add the melted margarine and the salt and start kneading the dough first with your fingers (until buttery crumbs form), then gradually gather it into a ball. Let the buttery dough rest in the fridge, covered with foil, for at least half an hour.

For the cream: 2. Mix 4 tbsp of the sugar with the flour and add a little of the milk so that a smooth paste forms. Put the rest of the milk in a small pot on the stove until it boils. Add the flour paste in a stream and stir until the cream thickens. 3. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the yolks and add them to the cream, together with the vanilla and the soft butter. Let the cream come to a boil once more, then remove from the heat and beat very well. Let it cool.

Assembly: 4. Roll out the chilled dough into a disc a little larger than the form in which you will bake the pie. Spread it in the form so that it covers the bottom and walls well. Bake in an oven heated to 220°C for about 15 minutes, being careful not to burn it. 5. Let the baked base cool, then on its bottom arrange the bananas cut into rounds (choose riper ones). Pour all the cream on top and smooth well with a spatula. 6. To the separated egg whites add the remaining sugar (6 tbsp) and beat with a mixer to a thick, firm snow. Distribute them carefully over the cream, smoothing the surface with a spoon (you can also shape peaks from the whites — as you prefer). 7. Put the pie for another 10–15 minutes in a low oven (about 150°C), so that only the whites brown slightly.