DISH DU JOUR

The Life of Pie
Aspenites flock to Piñons for its consistently excellent renditions of their favorite dishes, from the legendary Freddy salad (with its still-secret recipe) to steaks and rack of lamb. So when a new recipe catches on quickly, it must be special. “We put this on the menu just a couple of years ago,” notes chef/owner Rob Mobilian. Kelly Sallee, Piñons’ pastry chef for the past 15 years, says, “I wanted to combine hazelnuts, chocolate, and bananas, and this sure did the trick. It’s so easy, even a caveman could make it.”—Tom Passavant

Piñons’ Nutella Banana Cream Pie
Crust:
2    cups all-purpose flour
1/3    cup sugar
1/2    tsp. salt
1/2    lb. unsalted butter
1    egg
1    tsp. vanilla
Filling:
12    oz. Nutella hazelnut spread
3-4    ripe bananas
2    cups heavy whipping cream
2    tbsp. hazelnut liqueur
2    tbsp. powdered sugar
6    oz. gianduja chocolate (bittersweet may be substituted)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust: In a bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix, forming it into a ball. Using a little flour to keep it from sticking, roll out dough to about 1/8th inch thick, then fit into a 10-inch tart pan (preferably with a removable bottom), trimming any excess dough. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork, then bake to a light golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool, then remove from tart pan to a plate.
Filling: Whip the cream and hazelnut liqueur to soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
Spread Nutella over bottom of tart shell. Slice 3 or 4 bananas (depending on size) over Nutella to cover. Spread whipped cream over bananas. With a vegetable peeler, shave the gianduja over the tart to cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve. At the restaurant, the pie is served with chocolate and caramel sauces, along with slices of chocolate-covered frozen bananas. Serves 12.