Southern Banana Pudding~or is it?

I ask the question "Or is it?", because this next recipe, well, I guess it isn't truly Southern. It is and it isn't. 
The Nanner Pudding part - totally Southern. 

The whipped cream part - not so much.

Traditional Southern Banana Pudding has a meringue topping. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I love some meringue topping. 

It's just that my family loves the whipped cream topping just a bit more. 

But most of the older recipes will almost always have meringue toppings. 
That's because when the cook (that would be your Momma or Grandmomma) would have
 egg whites leftover from making the pudding part, she wouldn't want to waste the egg whites. 
So, she'd take those egg whites and whip up a meringue for the topping.

It makes complete sense and it makes good use of all the egg.

So having said all that, I still prefer whipped cream.

With this recipe, you'll only be wasting one egg white. 

If that will help you sleep better at night.

Oh, and the custardy-pudding is totally worth the little bit of effort it takes to make.
 Such a great flavor.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk (no skim milk, please)

⅔ cups white granulated sugar

3 tbsp. cornstarch

1 egg

1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. salted butter
2 tsp. Banana Extract (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
4-5 bananas, peeled and sliced
Half a box of Vanilla Wafers (About 50)

For the whipped topping:

1 cup Heavy Cream

3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

¼ teaspoons Vanilla Extract

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Directions:
Prepare a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg, and egg yolk.
 Once well-combined, place the pan over medium-high heat. 

Making this custard takes a bit of patience. 
You are stirring and stirring and then all of a sudden, blamm-o, it starts getting thick on ya.
 So that's why you gotta stick with it while you're making it.

Whisk often to prevent lumps from forming.
Cook until thick and bubbling.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, banana extract (or vanilla extract) and whisk until butter is completely melted.

In the baking dish, place a layer of bananas, then top that with a layer of vanilla wafers.

 Pour 1/2 of the custard over the wafers and spread to the edges. 

Repeat this process once more.  
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least four hours.

Whip the heavy cream with the vanilla and the powdered sugar until it reaches soft peaks.

 Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pudding. 
Top with crushed vanilla wafer cookies.

Keep refrigerated.

I took this picture before adding the crushed wafers on top. Oops. 

Adding the crushed wafers just gives it a prettier appearance.

Or you can serve the banana pudding and then add a dollop of whipped cream on each individual serving.
Whatever cranks your tractor!

And then if you wanna get fancy, add a slice of banana and a Nilla wafer on top.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe Here

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