Unique crust makes Milwaukee bakery's banana cream pie tastier than usual

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You wouldn't think there'd be much to a banana cream pie -- some instant vanilla pudding and sliced bananas arranged methodically in a pre-made crust. Perhaps that's why banana cream pie occasionally gets pushed aside when we see it on diner menus and at potluck functions.

Yet if you're a banana fan and the tedium of this pie has you hungry for something more, there is a better pie for you. You only have to look.

At C. Adam's Bakery in Milwaukee, there is so much more to their banana cream pie. Hidden in the hubbub of the Milwaukee Public Market, this tiny bakery pumps out some of the Midwest's tastiest gourmet treats. From raspberry chocolate truffle bars to l'oreos -- a posh, homemade version of Nabisco's famous black and white sandwich cookie -- it's hard not to stop and join the jostling people who feast their eyes on the large glass kiosk housing these delectable treats.

But beside the rows of intricately decorated pastries, a section of classic American pies awaits to be scooped up by the hungry stragglers. In both individual sizes and in 9-inch rounds, chocolate cream, key lime and banana cream sit in perfect formation, the peaks of their cream never drooping.

At first glance, the banana cream pie looks like any other banana pie might look if found at a diner or grocery store bakery. The crust is a little rough around the edges and the cream, although tinged a slight tan from the delicious addition of vanilla, is piled high in heaps of stiff, glorious peaks. But beneath its ordinary exterior lies a depth of flavor. The banana filling is rich and sweet with the taste of ripe bananas. There is no hint of packaged pudding in this pie, only the flavor of silky homemade banana custard that complements the vanilla-infused cream atop the pie so well.

Continue reading - Recipe included.

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