Old-fashioned homemade chocolate cream pie -- the kind your grandma use to make -- but with sliced bananas and topped with a fluffy cloud of sweetened whipped cream, garnished with sliced banana.

Dreamy Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 banana, sliced
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Continue boiling and stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Blend in butter and vanilla.
2. Pour into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Cool to room temperature.
3. Cover the bottom of baked pie shell with a small amount of the cooled filling. Arrange 2 sliced bananas over the filling then cover with the remaining filling. Chill for 3 to 4 hours, or until firm.
4. Whip cream to stiff peaks with powdered sugar and vanilla and spread on top of pie. Garnish with 1 sliced banana.

Makes 8 servings.