Banana Pudding
Rich sweet pastry cream layered with crispy Nilla wafers and fresh ripe bananas, as southern as the day is long.
Banana pudding has long been associated as a southern dessert creation. Like many other southern foods we know and love today banana pudding did indeed come up from the south but, not until the late 1800s when ships began bringing the Caribbean and Panamanian delight to US shores through New Orleans. Now as with much of southern cuisine it migrated north with freedom and in 1921 the banana pudding the many of us know today was born in Bloomington, IL. The woman attributed with introducing us to this delicious dessert was a home cook named Laura Kerley who used Nilla Wafers for the first time in this dessert.
If you are making banana pudding lets be honest it’s not real banana pudding if you aren’t using Nilla Wafers. That crunchy, crispy, sweet cookie is what sets your pudding off. Now there are lots of variations of banana pudding preparation including some use boxed vanilla pudding, some use meringue to top and some even use pound cake or lady fingers. The only way you are getting this banana pudding here is if you put in a little extra work. The recipe featured in this recipe uses lightened pastry cream known as a pastry cream mousseline, fresh homemade whipped cream and of course Nilla wafers and bananas.
Did you notice I didn’t emphasize the importance of banana, yup that’s right, to me banana are kind of irrelevant, hahahaha. I’m not a big banana fan so I’m the person who wants extra cookies and pudding and minimal bananas. However you like your banana pudding this recipe will be delicious. So without further ado here is the recipe.
Banana Pudding
Pastry Cream - yields 1.1 L
Whole milk 1 qt
Sugar 4 oz
Egg yolks 3 oz
Whole egg 4 oz
Cornstarch 2.5 oz
Sugar 4 oz
Unsalted butter 2 oz
Vanilla extract or paste 1 tbs
Directions
Dissolve the first addition of sugar with milk and bring to a boil. While the milk and sugar are coming up to a boil (keep heat on med low) whisk together the eggs both whole and yolks with second addition of sugar and cornstarch until smooth then set aside.
Once your milk and sugar mixture begins to boil you will need to temper your egg mixture by adding small amounts of the hot milk mixture to egg mixture until the side of your bowl is warm to the touch.
Once warm to touch pour your egg mixture in with the remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Return the mixture back to a boil and allow to thicken, approximately 2 min.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until completely incorporated. Cover a sheet pan with plastic wrap completely then pour hot pastry cream into plan and spread in an even layer. Cover top of cream with more plastic wrap, allowing to touch the top of cream. Cool it completely in the fridge.
Whipped Cream
Heavy cream 1 pt
Granulated sugar 6 tbs
Vanilla 1 tbs
Using the whisk/whip attachment on your mixer pour heavy cream into bowl and turn on medium high, stream in granulated sugar and add vanilla and whip until soft peak.
Assemble Banana pudding
Remove cooled pastry cream from refrigerator and place into a large mixing bowl. Add approximately 1/3 of the whipped cream to the pastry cream and fold in gently until incorporated. This will vary a bit to taste based on if you want your pudding lighter or thicker. Begin layering dessert starting and ending with cookies. If making as individual desserts I recommend crumbling up your cookies a bit to make it easier to get your spoon around while eating.
I hope you enjoy this dessert and let me know how your liked making it.
#bananapudding #dessert #southerndesserts #banana
