Phew! It’s not only a mouthful to say, it’s a mouthful to try. Another semi-finalist of Pietopia, this entrant’s story won the hearts of the food-writer judges for her honesty, clarity of feelings, and ability to relay her deep relationship to these specific tastes. The story is touching, the pie is a chocolate-caramel-banana flavor bomb, what better combination is there for a contest like Pietopia?

If you make this pie, you’ll instantly understand her story on a deeper and more meaningful level. This is what happened to me! Sure, I “understood” with my mind that banana’s, fudge, caramel, and kids were all a little messy and sticky–but I didn’t realize to what extent this could be taken to and how wonderful it all was together! You might even be surprised yourself.

Caroline Ford, Pietopia Semi-Finalist 2010

My younger brother has a spirited, cheerful three-year-old daughter and a giggly, flirtatious one-year-old son. Except, my brother is a drug addict and dealer and is in prison with a 20-year sentence. He has completely missed the exciting “firsts” of his babies and will continue to be absent for their early years. It breaks my heart, but I love the kids so much I can hardly stand it.

The little lives of my beautiful niece and nephew are like my Gooey, Sticky, Banana Caramel Fudge Brownie Pie. The soft, mushy bananas are the muddled circumstances and easily bruised emotions. Layered with salted caramel for all the tears along the way, a little chewy for my brother’s stubborn resistance. And the pie is oozing with dark, bittersweet chocolate for unexpected pregnancies that have brought two delightful babies.

The filling isn’t very stable. It is sticky and messy, but the combination is a sweet harmony. Each bite of the pie is happy and rich. The lush texture and comforting flavors make me swoon and grin and dive in for more. These two young souls have brought my family and the mothers’ families more joy than we could have ever imagined. They are perfect, adorable, laughing and smiling children surrounded by love, and they are exactly the delightful surprise we have all been craving. Sometimes messy is deliciously right.

Banana Caramel Fudge Brownie Pie

Crust: (makes enough for 2 single crust pies, save the other for later!) 2 ¼ c all-purpose flour ¼ c cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 12 T butter, chilled, cut into ¼” pieces ½ cup shortening, chilled, cut into 1/4” pieces 1/2 cup water, very cold Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and shortening; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal (pea sized pieces). Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until mixture comes together. Remove dough and shape into 2 equal discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To roll out, remove one disc from refrigerator and place on floured surface. Flour disc and rolling pin; roll out dough to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8” thick. Transfer dough to pie tin, press gently into pan. Fold excess overhang under and crimp edges. Prick bottom and side of shell with a fork and chill for at least 30 minutes. While chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees with a baking sheet on the middle rack. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights; bake on sheet for about 25 minutes, or until pastry is set and golden. Set aside.

Fudge Brownie Filling: 4 large eggs 1 cup sugar, sifted 1 cup brown sugar, sifted 2 1/4 cup cocoa, sifted 1/2 cup flour, sifted 8 ounces melted butter 2 tablespoons ground espresso 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Beat eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow; add both sugars and combine. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Set aside.

Other Layers: 3 ripe bananas, cut into ¼” pieces 1 cup caramel chews, cut into small pieces 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips To assemble: Layer cut bananas, caramel and chocolate chips in bottom of par baked pie shell. Pour brownie batter over top in spoonfuls, gently smooth over filling. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until brownie is set. Insert toothpick into center to check for doneness. Serve warm and gooey.