Bananaless Pudding
Featured in
Carolina Soul
Servings:
10
Total time:
20 minutes
If you're allergic to bananas like I am, then you will appreciate my story. By the time I reached 7th grade, I couldn’t eat bananas without becoming deathly ill. My parents made an amazing banana pudding, which unfortunately I was unable to enjoy. I recall a 4th of July holiday when Shaquille O’ Neal wanted banana pudding. I told him I couldn’t make it because the bananas would make me sick. He told me that If I didn’t make the banana pudding, he was going to fire me. I called my father and asked him to make it. He agreed. Once the pudding was delivered, Shaq jokingly stated that he should fire me and hire my father. That’s how much he loved my dad’s banana pudding. Fortunately, I didn’t lose my job. My dad had always been an amazing cook, but puddings, cobblers and cakes were his specialties. My mother came up with the idea of making a banana pudding without the bananas for those who are allergic or don’t care for the taste, so this is for folks like me who still want to enjoy something similar.
Ingredients
1 Cup of sugar
1/3 Cup of cornstarch
23/4 Cups of milk
½ Teaspoon of salt
6 Eggs, separated, with yolks slightly beaten (save all the whites!)
2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
2 Teaspoons of vanilla
1 Box of vanilla wafers
WHIPPED CREAM
2 Cups of heavy cream
½ Cup of powdered sugar
2 Teaspoons of vanilla extract
MERINGUE
Whites of 6 eggs
Pinch of salt
1/8 Teaspoon of cream of tartar
¼ Cup of sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a large metal or glass mixing bowl into the freezer. Place a large skillet on the stove on low heat. Add the sugar, cornstarch, milk, and salt to the skillet. Mix well. Continue stirring as the mix begins to thicken.
Next, add the egg yolks; mix well. Once the mixture is thick, remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool. Add the butter and vanilla. Mix well and set aside.
Make the Whipped Cream: Remove the mixing bowl from the freezer. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl. Turn the mixer on high and continue to whip until the cream has stiff peaks. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip for about another 10 seconds or so. Set aside.
Make the Meringue: Pour the egg whites and salt into another mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the mixer speed to medium. The whites will become fluffy with large bubbles forming around the edges. Add the sugar a little at a time until all is incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and turn off the mixer.
Place a large 13x9 glass baking dish onto the counter. Spoon a layer of pudding into the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of cookies over the pudding and then a layer of whipped cream. Repeat the steps in this order until the dish is full.
Spoon the meringue over the top. Place into the oven to bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the meringue is browned. Remove the pudding from the oven and allow the pudding to cool.
Place into the refrigerator to chill for about 4 hours. NOTE: Feel free to eat any remaining cookies. Leftover whipped cream can be placed into a plastic container or freezer bag and saved for about a month.
