Southern Banana Pudding

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This is my basic recipe for banana pudding. Like most cooks in the South,

we each have our tried-and-true recipes. There are many others out there,

but this is the one that works for me. It's best to eat the banana pudding

within a few hours of making, because the bananas tend to brown. This is

the version that I grew up with because the pudding is made from scratch

and cooked. It has simple ingredients and takes a minimum amount of time.

About the Ingredients

• Milk: Only use whole milk. It does make a difference.

• Eggs: I use large eggs for most of my cooking, even though they seem

smaller than they used to be.

• Vanilla wafers: Use a good quality; I've always used Nila vanilla

wafers. I am partial to the size and the flavor.

• Bananas: Yellow with a few dark spots have the best flavor.

• Vanilla: Banana pudding and vanilla go hand in hand. Our recipe for

homemade vanilla here.

There is a big difference in the flavor of our vanilla pudding and the boxed

kind that you find in the store. It tastes so much "cleaner" and fresher

because it doesn't have all the preservatives in it.

One of my favorite things about banana pudding is the meringue on top. My

mom would always put it under the broiler until the "tips" of the meringue

would turn brown then immediately take it out. This always left a lot of white

and I never felt comfortable eating that. I found that by putting the pudding

in a preheated oven, letting it start to turn brown, then quickly turning off the

oven and then leaving it in just until the entire top was golden brown. This

made it a lot more appetizing to me.

Banana pudding is similar to English trifle, which is made from cake, fruit,

and pudding (custard). I make my vanilla pudding from scratch, and it tastes

so much better than a mix. By constantly whisking the pudding as it's

cooking, the result will be so smooth and silky that it will enhance every bite.

A glass baking dish contains a layer of sliced bananas on one side and a full layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom, in preparation for a banana pudding dessert.

A layer of delicious vanilla pudding on top of layers of bananas and vanilla wafers. It's in a rectangular glass baking dish in a marble counter with a yellow napkin.

A close-up picture of golden brown meringue atop a banana pudding in a glass baking dish that sits on a yellow napkin. The meringue is irregular and has a bubbly appearance.

Favorite Things

from

the Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups milk

• 4 eggs, separated (whites will be used for the meringue topping)

• 6 Tbsp sugar

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 1 tsp of a good vanilla

• 2 Tbsp sugar

• Vanilla wafers (about 48)

• 4 ripe bananas, sliced (scant ½-inch)

Preheat oven to 350°F. You will need a 1½ quart casserole dish - round,

square, or rectangular.

Instructions

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan; whisk until smooth*.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until thickened.

Whisk in butter and vanilla; set aside.

3. Place alternate layers of vanilla wafers, bananas and custard

in the casserole dish. (Make sure the custard gets into every nook

and crannies.)

4. Beat egg whites (with the 2 tablespoons sugar) on high speed until

foamy; gradually add sugar and beat until meringue forms stiff peaks.

Spread over pudding, making sure to seal at sides of dish.

5. Place the banana pudding in oven; bake until it starts to brown; turn off

oven. Leave in the oven and watch closely until the surface is light

brown, like the picture shown.

*I use my immersion blender for this. It makes it easy to get a smooth

and creamy pudding. You can find it here.

LAURA LEE ALICE
COOKS

Southern Banana Pudding

LAURA LEE ALICE
COOKS

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