The Little Red Hen Wanted a ‘Nanner Pudding
Some bananas had become overripe and since last week I had made banana nut bread, I thought this time I would make a banana pudding.
When you are bi- or multi- cultural, you get hungry for things from elsewhere, not available locally. You either do without, substitute or make it yourself.
Banana pudding. But we have no cookies. Vanilla wafers are not available here; usually I substitute Petit Beurre, not at all the same, but they work. However we had none. Bright idea—why not make some vanilla wafers? I quickly found a recipe: https://bakingamoment.com/homemade-vanilla-wafers/
Upon reading the comments I was surprised to see that many people wanted to make them for the same reason as me—banana pudding!
I set to work and soon they were cooling on a rack. I only got 38 rather than the 65 indicated in the recipe and two of them disappeared almost immediately. When my husband asked if he could have more, I replied non, non, no-on, non, non. Full disclosure, one of them was eaten by me.
Next I made the custard. Mix 1/3 cup flour with ½ cup sugar and pinch of salt. Slowly add 2 cups milk, stirring well. Put in a 1 inch piece of split vanilla bean. Separate 3 eggs and add a 4th to the yolks. Cook the milk/flour mixture until thick, it is OK if it boils. Then, beating all the while with a whisk, add this very slowly to the egg and yolks. Return to pan and cook for one or two minutes on low heat. Let cool, stirring from time to time.
Layer the cookies, custard and sliced bananas in a dish that can go in the oven.
Wait a little while, then beat the egg whites until frothy, add ¼ cup sugar gradually, beat until peaks form. Spread this over the pudding and brown under the grill in the oven, not too close, and watch carefully. It only took about 3-4 minutes for the peaks to brown.
It will probably be better tomorrow as the cookies did not have time to absorb from the custard and were a bit crunchy. We found it a bit too sweet; I generally use less sugar but did not this time.
A landscape? Mountains, desert, sea?
The peels get chopped and given to the roses.
djdblogginghere 