Banana Pudding

We had the best intentions. We really did. We were acting out of Christian love, making a banana pudding for our friend Jennifer, who had just had her first baby. Mama, my cousin's wife, Jenny, and I gathered in the kitchen and set to work. The results were especially fine—a thick, rich pudding, fresh bananas, and a near-perfect, lightly golden meringue. We called Jennifer. Once. She wasn't home. We thought about calling back. Then again, you don't want to disturb a new mother. Jenny looked at me. I looked at Mama. We broke out the spoons and dove in. Doesn't it make you feel good to do something nice for others?

COOKIN' IT UP

Mama: "I've always gone by a recipe I got off a box of Nilla Vanilla Wafers years ago. I guess it's still the same one they use."

STEP 1: Separate 3 eggs, placing whites in a "perfectly clean" stainless steel bowl and yolks in another small bowl. Set aside for meringue. Preheat oven to 350.

My Two Cents: See additional meringue-makin' know-how in the "Chocolate Pie" recipe.

STEP 2: Whisk together the following dry ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup White Lily All Purpose (Light Baking) Flour, and a pinch of salt.

Jenny's Two Cents: "Put your stuff up as you go. It's a lot easier if you keep your space clean."

STEP 3: Whisk the three egg yolks into 2 cups of milk, then whisk liquid mixture into dry ingredients.

My Two Cents: We forgot to combine the milk and eggs and whisked them separately. It worked fine. No disasters.

 

STEP 4: Heat pudding mixture over low heat, stirring constantly (that would mean scraping all the way down to the bottom of your boiler with each stir) until it—what's the technical culinary term I'm looking for—oozes off the spatula.

 

Mama: "You're supposed to use a double boiler to heat the pudding, but I never do. I start it on low heat and whisk the whole time. It's gotta be on low or it'll curdle."

STEP 5: Remove pudding from heat and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Spread just a little of the pudding mixture into the bottom of your baking dish "for your vanilla wafers to stick to." 

STEP 6: Arrange a layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom of your dish, then slice a layer of bananas on top of them. You'll need about two bananas per layer.

Mama: "I just slice the bananas as I go—and make sure you get all the strings off."

Jenny's Two Cents:

 "They don't have to be real ripe, but they have to be pretty ripe."

STEP 7: Pour about half of the pudding mixture over wafers and bananas.

STEP 8: Repeat the process—add a second layer of vanilla wafers, another layer of bananas, and the rest of your pudding mixture.

STEP 9: To make meringue, beat eggs whites at high speed. As soft peaks form, gradually add 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating till stiff peaks form.

Jenny's Two Cents: "I add a little salt to my egg whites right at the beginning."

STEP 10: Spread meringue over the top of pudding and press your spoon around the edges to seal the meringue. Bake at 350 till meringue is golden brown.

Mama: "The cookbooks say 10 minutes, but you just have to watch it. Use your oven light and look through the window on your oven door so you don't keep opening it and letting the heat out."

 

Jenny's Two Cents:"Unless your oven door is filthy nasty and you can't even see through it!" [Jenny's oven door has NEVER been filthy nasty.]

 

STEP 11: Apologize profusely to the new mother who never got so much as a whiff of the banana pudding that was devoured in her honor. Vow to swing by Dream Cakes bakery in Homewood and pick her up some divine cupcakes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Peeptoesandpostscripts.blogspot.com]

There really is nothing like a good, creamy banana puddin. (Dream Cakes is fabulous!)

[Jennifer]

I hated I missed y'all. I had gone to mama's myself. :)

[Jenny Rowe]

Oh,no, Jennifer, We wondered if you were at Jane's. They said they didn't think so. I'm sorry, we should have tried harder. (You know what the road to Heaven is filled with? Ha) But take it from me, the pudding was delicious. And we had alot of fun making it.

[valerieluesse]

Um . . . I wanted to call repeatedly. But Jenny and Mama were the weak ones. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.