Gene's Favorite Dessert: Banana Pudding

Gene has two favorite desserts:  Boston Cream Pie and my Nannie's (grandmother) banana pudding. She used to make it for him to reward him for helping her or just to tell him she loved him. 

He'd never share. It was his from Nannie.

This isn't her exact recipe because I never got that recipe out of her head but I knew it passed inspection with Gene when he said "I think I want that as my birthday cake from now on."

Nothing like planning ahead. His birthday is the end of October.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding like Nannie Made

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup half and half

3 large egg yolks

2 cups 2% milk

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp banana extract

1.  Sift the sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a medium, heavy bottom saucepan. 

2.  Whisk togehter the egg yolks, cream, and milk.  Pour into pan and whisk to combine or medium high heat, stirring constantly but slowly until the pudding thickens and coats the whisk heavily.

3. Sitr in extracts and butter.

4.  Line bowl with 'Nilla wafers and chunked banana.

4.  To make absolutely smooth, strain through a fine mesh sieve and pour over cookies and banana.  Refrigerate to chill.

Comments

[Deborah]

I love banana pudding with Nilla wafers!!

[Maggie]

Do you think this would work as the filling for a banana cream pie? I am looking to make the ultimate banana cream pie, as that is MY husband's favorite dessert!

[Butta Buns]

That looks so comfortably and smooth!

Gene has all the luck, a birthday near Halloween, a pro baker, and more homemade puds.

[Glenna]

Deborah--LOL! Thanks for that reaction.

Maggie--Depends. This filling isn't cuttable thick. By the time you would cut the pie it would be oozing out everywhere so unless you like that kind of creamy pie specifically, this probably wouldn't work.

BB--Aaaahhh, you're very sweet! thank you

[Kate]

At least he's easy to please. Doesn't float my boat, but it is pretty enough to convince me to try it.

[Auntie Miranda]

Well, since I'm older than most dirt, I KNOW where she got her recipe. It was from her Betty Crocker Cookbook. She used the same recipe for pudding that she used for her cream pies. It may have had a pudding option that called for a little more milk. She always used 2% milk, no cream, and no banana flavor. Just vanilla, and it was IMITATION vanilla at that - Goodman's. She also did layers of cookies and bananas in-between layers of the pudding, but since she made about a GALLON at a time, it was probably easier to layer them
than if you make a NORMAL amount.

I'm betting the same recipe is STILL in a Betty Crocker cookbook. I'll check it out tonight.

[Glenna]

Thanks Miranda! Actually, I just read this to Gene and he said with the exception of wanting those layers of cookies and bananas in the middle, he likes mine alot. hey, here's to cream, you know? :-)

[Mansi]

beautiful!! I've made banana pudding with cake before and gorged it up myself! so I can relate to how gene felt!!

[Glenna]

Mansi--that's cute--made me laugh!