“UNCOMMONLY GOOD” Banana Pudding

The Real Deal

The key to a good BANANA PUDDING is in the custard. If you get that “RIGHT” the Banana Pudding is history… it will be gone and eaten in the blink of an eye… TRUST ME… it’s true, I’ve done it. ?

That’s why I don’t like making these, if the custard is “right” I’ll eat half of the whole thing in just one sitting ALL BY MYSELF… but that’s ok… I’m going running tomorrow (ha ha ha “psych”).

THE METHOD: Nothing special… (I don’t do Meringue, so theres no need to do that, or heat it), plus I like for the cookies to keep a little texture to them… “again”… the key to this fantastic Banana Pudding is in the custard. Alternate, one layer of cookies, one layer of banana’s, ending with the last layer being cookies.

The custard… and don’t forget to do the spoon test while preparing this custard (check how the custard flows on the back of a spoon when you part it with your finger, it SHOULDN’T flow and it should be nice and smooth, not too thick, and not too thin). Once you chill it, if the custard is too thin it will be runny, and if it’s too thick it will be pasty… it has to be JUST RIGHT… and that takes PRACTICE.

THE INGREDIENTS:

2/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Flower
Dash of Salt
3 Egg “Yokes”
1 Cup Evaporated Milk
1 Cup 2% Reduced fat Milk
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract (pure)
1 Box “Original Nilla Wafers” (very important, no substitute will do)
5 Banana’s

In a pot… combine the sugar, flower, and salt together well… add the 3 egg “yolks”, mix with the sugar, flower, and salt mixture until smooth… add the evaporated milk and the 2% milk in “slowly” a little at a time until well mixed (no lumps, the only way to get “no lumps” is to put a little milk in at a time)… move this mixture to the heat… use low heat (stirring it constantly)… cook it until you get the desired “thickness” you want… NOTE: You will have to remove it from the heat from time to time or it will cook too fast and form lumps… you could use a double boiler to help prevent that from happening… but I never have… I gotta try that one day to prevent having “hot spots” in the pan.

FINISH… once you have your desired thickness, remove the custard from the heat… add 1/2 Tsp. of Vanilla Extract… stirring it in well… let it cool a little as you finish preparing the cookies & banana’s in a separate dish, then pour the custard over them… shake it until the pudding gets all the way to the bottom of the dish. Some people like pouring the pudding as they add each later of cookies and bananas… I find that doing so adds to the cookies becoming more soggy way too soon. Once you have finished adding the pudding let it cool (15 minutes or so, we are fighting to keep condensation out of this dish)… once cool, cover it… and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

NOTE: For the first hour or so, I do not cover it tightly, excess condensation is going to form in the lid (and if you do not cover it at all, it will be dry)… after I remove excess condensation from the lid I cover it tightly for the rest of the 5 hours. Yes, that’s right… this is a delicate procedure… this is a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star dish.

ENJOY