Traditional Southern Banana Pudding Recipe

By Diane Watkins

When I was a child, my grandmother would always make my favorite dessert when we came to visit.  By the way, she made EVERY grandchild’s favorite.  Her chest freezer sat in her dining room, and when we arrived it would be covered by a tablecloth, displaying an assortment of desserts that boggles the mind.  Every grandchild would find their favorite among the offerings, accompanied by her pound cake and a few others for the adults.  She must have baked all week prior to our arrival.

I always requested Banana Pudding.  She would make a large pan of Banana Pudding crowned with meringue.  To this day, I cannot see a bunch of bananas without thinking of her banana pudding.  When bananas were scarce or too expensive, she would use drained canned pineapple (crushed).  That was excellent, also.

I admit that I am a lazy cook.  Usually I will leave off the meringue.  It is just a lot of trouble, but you should try it this way- it is worth it.

Banana Pudding Recipe — From Scratch

2 Tablespoons self-rising flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated (see note below)
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12 ounce package vanilla wafers- get a good quality wafer
3 large bananas
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place flour, sugar and salt into a heavy saucepan, stir well and set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy, add milk, mix well.
4. Stir the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture and cook over MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly until thick and smooth.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
6. Layer the vanilla wafers alternately with the bananas in a 1 ½ quart baking dish, beginning with wafers.  Put down 1 layer of wafers, then a single layer of bananas, more wafers, more bananas, so on until all the wafers and bananas are used.
7. Pour custard over the top of all so that all the bananas and wafers are covered.  You want the pudding to run down between the cookies and cover all.  Usually I will shift them around slightly with a knife to allow the custard to run down into all.
8. Beat the egg whites at high speed of electric mixer for 1 minute.  Then gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, beating constantly until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.  This may take 2-5 minutes.  Peaks should be stiff enough to hold their own when the beaters are lifted.
9. Spread meringue over pudding, pushing it all the way to the edge of the casserole dish to seal.
10. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes until the meringue is golden brown.

NOTES:  Some cooks add the pudding between the layers: 1 layer cookies, l layer banana, 1 layer pudding.  I usually layer the cookies and bananas first then make the meringue, then the pudding, this way it is poured over the cookies while hot.  The pudding will thicken as it cools.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON MERINGUE:  Raw egg are no longer considered a safe food. I recommend the use of a pasturized egg white product, such as Just Whites. Also, the egg whites must be beat with an absolutely clean – grease free beater and bowl.  Don’t use a plastic bowl as they tend to harbor a layer of grease that never comes out.  You have to clean the beaters thoroughly after the pudding is made, before making the meringue.  I am lazy, so usually I make the meringue before the pudding, then just rinse the beaters and go to the pudding.  The problem with this is that the meringue will deflate a little while it waits for the pudding, but not much if you did it right.

Note on making the pudding:  You tend to get tired of stirring the pudding, and want to increase the heat to high.  Don’t!  If you get impatient and increase the heat, you risk burning the pudding.

Strawberry Cream Meringues

What can I say? Dessert is my favorite part of the meal. I especially enjoy light, sweet and luscious desserts like this one. It has been a while since I made this, but now I am craving it again. This is a real contender for Valentine’s day.

Make the meringues in a heart shape for a romantic dessert. (Mine shown are not.) The whipped cream and strawberries on a meringue shell is a light and luscious dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth with a minimum of sugar.

Don’t put the cream into the meringue shells until you are ready to serve these, the meringue will begin to melt from the moisture if they have to sit at all.

Valentine Meringue Hearts

Meringues:

3 Egg whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar

1 dash Salt

1 cup Sugar

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream

3 to 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

1 pint Strawberries, sliced -reserve a few for garnish

Mint leaves for garnish- optional

Directions:

Cut a heart pattern from a 4-1/2 inch square of paper. Cover baking sheet with brown paper. (You can bake on the brown paper so make sure it is clean.) Grocery store bags without writing on them are okay. Draw 6 hearts on the brown paper using your pattern as a guide.

Beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to feel that no sugar remains undissolved.

Spread meringue over the heart shapes, 1/4 inch thick. Make into the heart shape using a spoon to push and form into correct shape. Pipe rim 3/4 inch high with pastry tube or build a rim with a spoon.

Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringues dry in oven for 1 more hour. DO NOT open oven door during this time.

Store meringue shells in a dry place until ready to fill. Do not refrigerate.

Add the powdered sugar to the whipping cream and beat the cream until soft peaks form. Taste the cream for sweetness, you want a barely sweet whipped cream.

Mix in the strawberries, reserving a few for garnish.

Assemble:

When you are ready to serve, place a large scoop of the strawberry cream onto the meringue shell. Garnish with reserved strawberries and a little mint if desired.

More Valentines Day Recipes

Fresh Strawberries – Upside Down Strawberry Meringue Pie

Strawberry season is beginning here in Florida.  We had a bad cold snap, as did everyone, this year; but it seems that the majority of the strawberries managed ok. Soon you will see fresh Florida strawberries in your produce aisle. This recipe is an excellent light airy pie that uses those fresh strawberries to perfection.

This strawberry meringue pie is built with the meringue on the bottom and whipped cream on top, hence “upside-down”. The meringue and whipped cream together make this a light airy pie that is sumptuous in flavor and texture. This pie is best made with fresh strawberries, but frozen could be used with an alternate garnish.

Upside Down Strawberry Meringue Pie

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 9-inch pie shell, baked
• 3 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• Red food coloring
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1. Beat the egg whites, vinegar and salt to form soft peaks.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla while beating. Beat to form stiff peaks.
4. Spread the meringue on the bottom and up the sides of the pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
5. Mash and sieve 2 cups of strawberries.
6. In a saucepan, mix 1/3 cup of sugar and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup of water and the sieved strawberries.
7. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, approximately 2 minutes. Add a few drops of red food coloring.
8. Allow to cool slightly, then spread over the cooled meringue. Chill until set.
9. Top with whipped cream when ready to serve and garnish with the rest of the strawberries, sliced or fanned.