Banana Cream Pie

5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 TB cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups milk
4 TB butter, cut in pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 bananas
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 pie crust, baked & cooled
whipped cream

Prepare ice bath & set aside
To make the custard:
1. In medium bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch & salt
2. In medium saucepan, bring milk just to a boil. Remove from heat and temper the egg mixture(whisk in about 1/2 cup of hot milk into egg mixture to warm it up, then gradually add the egg & milk mixture to the milk in the pan - this just prevents the hot milk from "scrambling" the eggs)
3. Place over medium high heat & bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until thick. Once it starts boiling, use a whisk and stir constantly for about 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and whisk in butter pieces one at a time until melted. Add vanilla & whisk until smooth.
5. Strain through a fine sieve into medium bowl, put over ice bath to cool. Stir occasionally. At this point you can cover it and save it for the next day - place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to preven a film from forming on the surface.
6. Slice 2 bananas 1/4 inch thick. Add lemon juice & toss to coat. Arrange in the bottom of pie crust. Spread cooled custard over bananas & smooth the surface.
7. Cover, with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
8. Top with whipped cream just before serving. Serve with slices of remaining banana.

Source: My Aunt Kathy used to make banana cream pie every year for Thanksgiving, this recipe is the closest to my memory of it that I have tried, and I think it was either from a baking class at school or found on the internet. Its more work than a boxed-pudding mix "banana cream pie," but its worth it