Things I Love to Cook & Eat ~ Banana Pudding #food #recipe

Banana Pudding is a weakness of mine…next to cherries anyway…banana pudding is my go to dessert. I have loved it since I was a child and my Aunt Faye used to make it for me. I loved (and still do) it warm…straight from the pan with a few banana slices thrown in.  I still prefer to eat it that way. On occasion, it lasts long enough to make it into a bowl or, my very favorite way…in a Mason Jar!!!

Aunt Faye’s Banana Pudding

This is a ‘you can’t sit still and eat it’ recipe. OMGosh, you will love it. It is also an ideal food if you need to bring dessert to a party. They will think you are amazing. Just don’t bake it until ready to serve!!!

INGREDIENTS

Pudding:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Freshly grated cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg
Vanilla wafer cookies (some crushed finely)
5 not too ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

Meringue Topping:
4 large egg whites (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Pudding: In a double boiler, bring 2 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. In medium stainless steel bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in egg yolks, followed by milk. Add the spices. Place bowl over pan of water and cook, stirring until mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean. (Rinse vanilla bean and save for another use.) If using vanilla extract, stir it in now.

To assemble the dessert: While pudding is still warm, layer cookies, bananas and pudding in 1/2 pint canning jars. Arrange the wafers to cover the bottom of the jar, overlapping if necessary, then the bananas. Carefully pour pudding mixture over bananas. Top with a few more bananas.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Topping: Beat egg whites in metal bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and slowly increase speed-egg whites will become opaque. Slowly add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Add vanilla extract. Whip until whites form a soft peak. Spoon meringue topping over warm puddings,spreading to sides of jar.

Bake jars for 4 minutes or until meringue is puffed and brown. Cool on rack for 20 minutes. Sprinkle crushed wafers over the top. Cover tightly with jar lids and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours – or up to 12 hours, but no longer,  before serving.

If that isn’t enough…I love to make and add a dollop of real whipped cream also…In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

images from Lucille’s BBQ, Temecula, CA