This recipe comes together by making several different components. Once you have all of the components made, assemble to make the final dish.

Vanilla Custard/Pastry Cream

• 2 cups/480 ml milk
• 4 tablespoons/45 g sugar 
• pinch salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons/30 g sugar
• 2.5 tablespoons/25 g cornstarch ( 3 tablespoons/30 g for a stiffer pastry cream)
• 3 tablespoons/43 g unsalted butter softened
• 3 tsp vanilla bean paste / extract

Slowly heat milk, first sugar, and salt in a medium heavy bottom pot. Stir occasionally, so the sugar dissolves faster. Keep an eye on this, we do not want it to boil over.

In a small bowl, whisk all of the eggs and remaining sugar together until it starts to look a little fluffy and pale. Whisk in cornstarch, a little at a time to try preventing clumps. If a sifter is available, that is always a plus. Set this aside, we’ll need it in a jif.

Our milk mixture should be very warm to the touch and may have bubbles around the edges. This is perfect. Turn off the heat and bring the pot close to the egg mixture bowl.

Using a spoon or ladle, add a little bit of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk quickly to start slowly warming the mixture (also because we do not want the hot mix to scramble our eggs.) Keep adding the hot mixture and mixing until the bowl feels a little warm or about half of the hot mixture is incorporated.

Place the pot back on the stove and add all of the egg mixture. Turn the burner to medium low. Stir with a wooden spoon, high heat rubber spatula, or whisk until the mixture thickens. 

Patience is key here! It may thicken in 30 seconds or 5 minutes.

The pudding will thicken as it cools.

Turn off heat once pudding reaches desired thickness. Mix in the butter, make sure that there isn’t melted butter sitting along the edges. Make sure butter is fully mixed and melted. 

Stir in vanilla.

At this point the pudding can be covered loosely with plastic wrap, to avoid a film forming on the top while cooling. Poke some holes in the wrap to avoid sweaty pudding. Cool completely, unless you prefer warm pudding. Delicious either way!

Caramelized Bananas

• Knob of butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 medium bananas, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Sorghum
• ¼ cup heavy cream

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium high heat, add brown sugar and bananas. Flip bananas after a couple of minutes. Drizzle sorghum over bananas and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour in cream, swirl until incorporated. Serve immediately, or pour into a covered container and refrigerate. If refrigerated, bring the topping to room temperature or warm over low heat.

Shortbread

• 8 tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan(or pan spray for baking)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/80 grams packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste/ extract
• 1 cup/140 grams) flour(all-purpose or pastry flour)

Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter/grease the bottom of a cake pan. Tart pan, pie tin, or baking sheet work perfect if cake pan is not available. Note that the edges will be done a lot faster using a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk/blend the butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour until combined.

Press the dough into the bottom of the pan (no need to go up the sides). Using a fork, poke (or dock) the dough several times. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.

Bake until a deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. If not using a tart pan, start checking around the 12 minute mark.

Remove the pan from the oven. Shortbread can be sliced or remain whole at this point.

Allow the shortbread to cool completely in the pan, then remove using a spatula to release.  Demo! There is also a test of your luck and flip the pan option!

Whipped Cream

• 1¼ cup heavy cream
• 6-8 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla bean paste/extract
• 1 tablespoon milk powder (nonfat powdered milk or Nonfat Instant Dry Milk), optional!!!
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Add the cream (COLD) to a medium-sized mixing bowl or food processor then add the powdered sugar, milk powder, and vanilla to the cream.

Using a food processor or mixer, whip the cream until it thickens (this doesn't take long at all so check often). Do not over whip or attempt to make sweet butter.

When it holds its shape without falling back into the gap, it's ready!

This can also be made using a hand whisk. This will be finished off with a finishing salt!

How to Assemble:

Starting from the bottom of the dish you want to serve the banana Pudding in:

-some cookie pieces

-few bananas slices 

-a bit of the caramel sauce

-pudding

-whipped cream

-cookies

-caramel sauce

-salt to finish

Bananas Foster Bonus Recipe 

Portion size 2

1 Banana, peeled and sliced

2 Tablespoons whole butter

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Whiskey, Rum or Brandy (choose 1, do not use all of them!)

2 Tablespoons orange juice

Zest from 1 orange, fine pinch of salt to balance flavors

Melt the butter in a sauté pan, Add brown sugar and begin to melt the sugar. 

Add sliced bananas, sauté until one side is golden, flip and get ready to flambé!

Remove the pan from the heat, add the alcohol of choice at the back of the pan, tilt forward and ignite with the flame from the burner. Use a stick lighter to light it if you have an electric burner.

Allow the flame to burn off the alcohol – make it a show by turning out the lights.

Add orange juice and zest.

Spoon mixture over vanilla ice cream and serve

Add fresh sliced bananas if desired.

Garnish with a rolled cookie wafer – chocolate filled is a great choice.

Enjoy!

Chef Desiree Kinker CPCC Culinary Graduate and Personal Chef