Rachel's Birthday Banana Pudding
Our amazing Bean Wrangler Rachel just celebrated her birthday! This creamy, vibrant Banana Pudding is her favorite, and we're happy to spoil her rotten. She deserves it.
Vanilla Bean Pudding:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 TBSP. cornstarch
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TBSP butter
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt. Whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth, light yellow, and falls in ribbons from the whisk.
Mix the milk and cream in a saucepan. (You can also use 3 cups of half-and-half instead of the milk and cream. You can use 3 cups of whole milk, and not use any cream, but the final pudding won't be as thick and rich.) Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape or squeeze the caviar into the milk mixture. Add the split vanilla bean pod to the milk. Heat the milk and vanilla bean over medium heat until it begins to steam.
Temper the eggs by slowly adding the milk into the egg mixture while constantly whisking vigorously. Return the whole mixture--milk, eggs, everything--back to the saucepan and turn the heat on to medium low. Whisk constantly until the mixture just begins to bubble and it thickens. It does not need to boil hard.
Add the vanilla extract and butter. Whisk until smooth.
Chill the pudding either using an ice bath or in the refrigerator. Note: this is a fantastic vanilla bean pudding on it's own.
Assemble the Banana Pudding
Mix the milk and cream in a saucepan. (You can also use 3 cups of half-and-half instead of the milk and cream. You can use 3 cups of whole milk, and not use any cream, but the final pudding won't be as thick and rich.) Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape or squeeze the caviar into the milk mixture. Add the split vanilla bean pod to the milk. Heat the milk and vanilla bean over medium heat until it begins to steam.
Temper the eggs by slowly adding the milk into the egg mixture while constantly whisking vigorously. Return the whole mixture--milk, eggs, everything--back to the saucepan and turn the heat on to medium low. Whisk constantly until the mixture just begins to bubble and it thickens. It does not need to boil hard.
Add the vanilla extract and butter. Whisk until smooth.
Chill the pudding either using an ice bath or in the refrigerator. Note: this is a fantastic vanilla bean pudding on it's own.
Assemble the Banana Pudding
- 1 batch Vanilla Bean Pudding
- 4-5 perfectly ripe bananas
- 36 Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies--about 1 1/2 7.25 oz packages. You can also use vanilla wafers, but Chessmen cookies are better!
- Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
In a 9x9 baking dish, lay 12 chessmen cookies. Slice 1 or 2 bananas over top. Ladle on half of the vanilla pudding. Layer in another 12 cookies, then slice more bananas, and then top with the remaining vanilla pudding. Finish the dish with a final layer of cookies. Cover. Refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Serve with a healthy dollop of vanilla bean whipped cream.
Note: you can also layer in whipped cream if you enjoy it that way.
Note: you can also layer in whipped cream if you enjoy it that way.