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Southern banana pudding
Layers of vanilla custard, wafers and bananas under meringue
Banana pudding is the potluck and barbecue-joint dessert of Tennessee, the Carolinas and Mississippi, scooped from a deep dish next to the pulled pork. Vanilla wafers, sliced bananas and a stove-top custard are layered so the biscuits soften to cake, then the top is finished with toasted meringue the old-fashioned way. Chef's tip: pour the custard on while it is still warm so it seeps into the wafers.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the custard
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 1 ¼ oz plain flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- ⅔ oz butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For layering
- 5 ripe bananassliced
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk the 5 ½ oz sugar, 1 ¼ oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt in a saucepan, then whisk in the 3 cups whole milk and 4 egg yolks.
3 minStep 2: Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, for 8–10 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon thickly and it bubbles once or twice. Off the heat, stir in the ⅔ oz butter and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
10 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). In a 2 litre baking dish layer a third of the 9 oz vanilla wafer biscuits, a third of the 5 ripe bananas and a third of the warm custard; repeat twice.
8 minStep 4: Whisk the 4 egg whites to soft peaks, then add the 2 ⅞ oz sugar a spoonful at a time and whisk to stiff, glossy peaks. Spread over the pudding right to the edges to seal.
6 minStep 5: Bake for 12–15 minutes until the peaks are golden. A common mistake is leaving gaps at the edge, which makes the meringue shrink and weep. Cool, then chill at least 2 hours.
135 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does southern banana pudding take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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