[Banana Recipe] Banana Pudding for Dessert Recipe

I LOVE and adore banana pudding, real banana pudding. By real I mean the kind where you make the pudding from scratch and pour it warm over a bowl of yummy Nilla wafers and fresh cut bananas. That stuff with boxed pudding mix cannot even come close to how this tastes. If you think you’ve had banana pudding before and it involved a boxed pudding mix…THAT was not banana pudding! THIS is Banana Pudding!

The complete recipe is listed at the bottom of this page. I always insist on Nilla brand wafers. I am not a big brand person (alright, I do have a thing about White Lily flour), but if you’re going to make banana pudding, might as well do it right. For my Banana pudding, we won’t be doing a meringue. I like meringue but know far too many people who don’t. Plus that adds an extra step, which may be a wee bit complicated for someone who has never made it before. If you want to make a meringue and don’t know how, just visit my Lemon Meringue pie tutorial for complete instructions along with pictures!

I just want you to make the pudding, I don’t want you to feel you have to sit through an entire culinary class. That having been said, if you put Cool whip or any type of refrigerated dairy topping on this divine concoction after we are done making it, I will personally hunt you down and haunt you for the rest of your life. ~sweet smile~ We’re going to do this right

Put a layer of Nilla wafers in the bottom of a medium sized mixing bowl. Slice a banana over the top. Repeat these layers until you’ve used up all your Nilla wafers and bananas. It really is important that you put Nilla wafers first, by the way. These are going to soak up all the yummy pudding that settles at the bottom of your bowl.

I use a mixing bowl because that is what my mother always used. She had this Corning green glass mixing bowl, it was enormous. She must have made at least two recipes of banana pudding each time she made it. Seeing that bowl on the counter was always a welcome sight!

Crack your three eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Since we aren’t making a meringue, we won’t be using the whites. You can save them for another use or throw them away (which I did because….I just care about my banana pudding right now.)

Place 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda), and a dash of salt in a saucepan. You can use a double broiler for this and not have to fret over it so much, but I just like living on the edge. Muhahaha! My trick for substituting Splenda for sugar in this is to always use just a wee bit less than the recipe calls for. If it calls for a cup of sugar, I might do a cup minus two tablespoons of Splenda. To me, that keeps it from tasting artificial.

Add milk to saucepan.

Put this on the stovetop on medium low heat and stir it really well with a whisk. You can also just use a spoon for this.

When you are done stirring it up it will look something like this.

Now settle in and BE PATIENT. You need to stir the pot constantly, scraping the bottom so none of it gets a chance to stick and scorch. This will take about fifteen minutes so I usually get something to read while I stand there and stir because I don’t think I’ve ever “just” done one thing for fifteen minutes straight.

Today I read a few articles from the new issue of PopSci. I love that magazine. This one shows you how you can turn your iPod or even iPhone into a projector that will project movies onto your wall up to 5′ x 7′! All you need are a small cosmetic mirror, a cardboard box, some tape, and a lense from an old slide projector. I actually want to do this. Anyone have an old slide projector? ~grins~

Seriously, be patient, keep stirring, don’t turn the heat up past four. This is going to take a long time and do nothing, but then ALL OF A SUDDEN it will be thicker.

Yes, I need to clean my stove. I started to photoshop that out but then decided…..”eh”.

Now, your pudding isn’t going to get super thick, but after about fifteen minutes of stirring, it will suddenly get thicker. The consistency will be about what that boxed pudding is right after you mix it before it sets well. TAKE IT OFF THE EYE! Quick! we don’t want it to scorch or keep getting thicker. Now if you end up with scorched pudding or lumpy pudding, just use it anyway and pay attention to me when I tell you to slow down next time!

Add a teaspoon of vanilla and stir.

Immediately pour over your bananas and wafers.

Let this sit for about five minutes so the pudding has time to soak into the wafers. THIS IS SO GOOD! Eat it warm, then refrigerate leftovers. I prefer to eat the leftovers cold. YUMM!

Source: http://www.southernplate.com/
By: Chisty Jordan

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[Banana Recipe] Banana Crumb Cake for dessert

Total Time: 1 hr 5 min
Prep Time: 15 min
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients
Coconut-Pecan Topping:
.5 cup(s) pecans, toasted and chopped
.25 cup(s) unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
.25 cup(s) all-purpose flour
.25 cup(s) packed dark brown sugar
.25 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine
Banana Cake:
1.5 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
.5 teaspoon(s) baking soda
.25 teaspoon(s) salt
.125 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
4 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine, at room temperature
.5 cup(s) packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoon(s) pure honey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup(s) mashed bananas (from 3 very ripe medium bananas)
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
Directions

Prepare Coconut-Pecan Topping: In medium bowl, combine pecans, coconut, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resem­bles coarse crumbs with a few pea-size chunks remaining.
Prepare Banana Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9-inch springform pan; line bottom with parchment paper and grease parchment. On sheet of waxed paper, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well blended. In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and honey until light and creamy, about 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Gradually add eggs, beating after each addition. On low speed, add half of flour mixture, then mashed bananas, and vanilla. Add remaining flour mixture and beat just until smooth.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. With small metal spatula, loosen cake from side of pan and remove. Cool completely.(Cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature up to 1 day.)
More from Good Housekeeping

Read more: Banana Crumb Cake Recipe - Good Housekeeping 
Source:http://www.goodhousekeeping.com

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[Banana Recipe] Banana -Caramel Tart for dessert :)

Dulce de leche is a sweet Latin dessert made by slowly cooking down milk (usually sweetened, condensed) until it's thick and almost caramelized. Traditionally, it's spread on bread or crackers or used in pastries and cakes. But now you can get it in luscious ice cream, which we layered with fresh bananas over a no-bake pecan cookie crust.
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie Crust
18  pecan shortbread cookies
1,cup(s) pecan, toasted
2,tablespoon(s) butter or margarine, melted
Ice Cream Filling
3,pint(s) dulce de leche ice cream, softened
4,ripe bananas
Directions
Prepare Shortbread Cookie Crust: In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse cookies and 1/2 cup pecans until very finely ground. With food processor running, drizzle in butter until blended.
With hand, press cookie mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of 11-inch by 1-inch round tart pan with removable bottom. Place pan in freezer 15 minutes to firm crust. Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining 1/2 cup pecans; set aside.
Prepare Ice Cream Filling: Spread 1 pint ice cream over crust. Cut 3 bananas into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange them in 1 layer over ice cream. Cover tart with plastic wrap and return to freezer for 30 minutes.
Spread second pint ice cream over banana layer. Slice remaining banana. Arrange banana slices, overlapping slightly, on ice cream in a ring 2 inches from edge of tart pan. Sprinkle top of tart with chopped pecans. Cover and freeze at least 6 hours or until firm. If not serving tart same day, wrap and freeze up to 2 weeks.
To serve, uncover tart and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften slightly for easier slicing. Remove side of pan and place tart on platter.

Read more: Banana-Caramel Tart - Good Housekeeping 
Source:http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

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[Banana Recipe] Banana Caramel Pudding for dessert

Ingredients
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large ripe bananas, sliced
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
4 large eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
48 vanilla wafers
Preparation

1. Cook first 3 ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly. Add bananas; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk together 3/4 cup granulated sugar, next 3 ingredients, and 4 egg yolks in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until a pudding-like thickness. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted.) Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
3. Divide half of banana mixture, pudding, and wafers among 8 (1-cup) ramekins or ovenproof glass dishes. Layer with remaining banana mixture, pudding, and vanilla wafers.
4. Beat 4 egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves (2 to 4 minutes). Spread meringue over ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes or until meringue is golden. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes.

Southern Living 
FEBRUARY 2012
Source:http://www.myrecipes.com/

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[Recipe] Banana Nut Cheesecake Recipe

Easy cheesecake is bursting with the flavors of bananas, chocolate, and walnuts. This delicious dessert could not be easier to make. If you have hesitated to make cheesecake in the past, this is the recipe to begin with. It is easy enough to make your own chocolate cookie crust, but feel free to use a pre-made crust if you are pressed for time.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
.
Cheesecake Filling:
1 medium ripe banana
1 teaspoon lemon juice
16 ounces (2 large blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided use
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon butter
Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For the Crust:
Combine chocolate cookie crumbs and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes.

For the Filling:
Mash the banana with the lemon juice. (This will not only add a bit of tang, but also keep the banana from darkening.) Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, mashed bananas, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well-mixed after each addition. Fold in half of the walnuts.

Pour into the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Return to the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until set but center is still slightly jiggly. Let cool.

Melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave and whisk until combined. Pour into a ziptop bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Snip a tiny corner from the bag and use it as a pastry bag to drizzle chocolate on the cheesecake.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Banana Nut Cheesecake Recipe Photo © 2012 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Source:http://homecooking.about.com/

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[Banana Recipe] Vietnamese Steam Banana Cake with Coconut Milk

By:TrucVy-Zoe's Zone
What do you do with left over bananas? There are many ways to get rid of bananas. You can make banana muffins, smoothies, banana breads, banana ice cream and the list can go on and on.One of my favorite Vietnamese snacks is steam banana cake with coconut milk, (Vietnamese:Bánh Chuối Hấp với Nước Cốt Dừa) . I have made this snack in the past. However, I hate the idea of putting each layer of banana on top of each others while steaming it. It's a lot of work. Therefore, I don't make it as often as I should.

Recently, I found a much simpler recipe by Tamnhualt from VietFun Forum. Her recipe is so fantastic. Not only it easy, fast, yet; it tastes great. I tried it today, and it was so good that you would not believe. Check it out.

After you mixed banana, tapioca flour, sugar, salt, and a few drops of yellow colors together, the texture will look like below.

Here is a closer look.

Steam it for at least 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, let it cool completely. Then take one piece and cut into smaller pieces. Generously pour in a sweet and salty coconut milk and sprinkled with roasted peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.

Ingredients:
-Steam banana
peel the 4 bananas
Add 1/2 tsp of salt
Add 1/3 cup of sugar (you can add more sugar if you like it more sweet.)
Let it sit for a few minutes so the bananas will be come soft and easy to mix with flour.
Add 1 cup of tapioca flour
Mix well
Add 4 drop of yellow food color
-Coconut milk:
1/2 can of coconut milk
1/2 tsp of salt
1 1/2 tsp of tapioca flour
1 1/2 tsp of sugar
2 TBS of tapioca pearl (optional)
-Garnish
toasted sesame seeds
roasted peanuts
Method:
-Mix all the steam banana ingredients together.
-spray your pan/mould with some oil so it will be easy to come off
-pour in the banana mixture
-steam for 45 minutes
-let it cool completely
Presentation:
-cut steamed banana cake into smaller pieces.
-pour coconut milk over
-garnish with roasted peanut and sesame seeds.
Enjoy!
Source:http://trucvy-zoe.blogspot.com/2008/10/bnh-chui-hp-vi-nc-ct-da-vietnamese.html

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[Banana Recipe] "Chuối Chiên" - Vietnamese version of fried bananas

By: TrucVy-Zoe's Zone
Every countries have their own version of fried bananas. I just learned this recipe from Chi. Bun yesterday and decided to make them today. As a child, I remembered this type of snacks are sold by street vendors in Vietnam. Chuoi Chien is also one of my favorite snacks. Ta ta.....................Here you go.

The batter is consisted of : rice flour, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and dried shredded coconuts.

After an hour in the refrigerator, then it's time to fry them.

I just love the golden color.

They are so good and crunchy. You just can't eat just one. There goes my diet plan :-(

Ingredients:

½ cup of rice flour

¼ cup of sugar

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 pinch salt

¼ cup of shredded coconut (You can add more if you like)

4 medium bananas (the firmer they are, the better)

1 and ¼ cup of water

canola oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Mix together the flour, sugar, sesame seeds, shredded coconut, salt and water to make a smooth, paste-like batter.

2. Leave in the refrigerator to rest for one hour.

3. Peel the bananas and slice in 2 or 3 inch slices.

4. Dip the banana pieces into the batter and shallow fry in hot oil for a few minutes or until golden brown all over.

5. Drain quickly on a wire rack or paper towel, and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Source: http://trucvy-zoe.blogspot.com/2009/06/vietnamese-fried-banana-chuoi-chien.html

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