Lagniappe - Banana Pudding

In the June 2010 Issue of Southern Living, they featured a "lightened up" recipe for banana pudding. It was sensational; although it featured a meringue topping which to me means "winter dessert" as I prefer whipped cream any other time of year (guess that's not "light" then). Then, my beloved August/September issue of Cook's Country also featured a very decadent banana pudding recipe. I really liked the Southern Living take and didn't feel the need to stray, but there was one part of the Cook's Country version that spoke to me...roasting some of the bananas and then processing them in the vanilla based pudding to give a depth of banana flavor in the pudding part. So here, I present an adaptation of both recipes for quite possibly the best banana pudding you will ever eat.

Banana Pudding (serves 9)

5 bananas, firm. Yes, must be firm and no spots at all. (two will be roasted, three eventually sliced)
1 t Fruit Fresh* divided or fresh lemon juice
1/3 c flour
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups of milk (1% is fine)
14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Box of vanilla wafers**
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325 and put two of the in peel bananas on a baking sheet. Roast them till they are black, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly then peel.


Meanwhile, make the pudding. Whisk constantly the flour through egg yolks in a heavy sauce pan and heat till thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Let pudding base cool slightly.

At this point, slice the remaining 3 bananas and toss in a bowl with 1/2 tsp of the Fruit Fresh or the lemon juice (this will keep bananas from turning black. Ewww!)

Then using a food processor, put the two roasted bananas in there with 1/2 tsp of the Fruit Fresh or some lemon juice and puree. Then add the pudding base in there and pulse till blended.

Next,in a 9x9 glass pan or similar, layer the desert in a cookie, pudding, banana slice fashion.


Go crazy with the cookies...that's the best part. There is no shame in using the whole box, although I usually have a few left over. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours. Serve with whipped cream.





* Cook's Country used lemon juice to retard the oxidation process of bananas turning dark and looking un-appetizing. I didn't have a lemon around so I used Fruit Fresh. This product is found in the canning/freezing section of the grocery store.
** If you have an aversion to "soggy cookies," Cook's suggests that you chill the pudding base about 45 minutes before the cookie assembly. This is up to you. To me, mushy cookies is part of the comfort food feel of a banana pudding.