Recipe: Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding

Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding
Recipe By :Louis Osteen
Serving Size : 8

Banana pudding is the ultimate comfort food of my childhood. My mother usually made it once a week. It's quick and easy, and I've added bourbon for another taste dimension. You may leave it out if you prefer, as the pudding is good either way. You may serve this banana pudding in an old-fashioned Pyrex pie dish with a scalloped rim (it fits perfectly), in individual serving dishes, or in a suitable decorative dish of your choosing.

8 large eggs -- separated
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup bourbon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 box vanilla wafer
4 banana -- peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Put the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat them until they are light in color and form a ribbon.

Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and the milk and cream in a non-reactive saucepan and bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Sift the cornstarch over the egg yolk mixture and incorporate by hand.

Whisk 2 cups of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture by hand. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the remaining hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the custard is bubbly and thick. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1/2 cup of the bourbon and the vanilla, and cool to room temperature.

Combine 1/4 cup of the sugar, the remaining 1/4 cup of bourbon, and the water in a small bowl and set aside.

Clean the bowl of the electric mixer, making sure there are no traces of grease in it. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl and beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. The egg whites should still form peaks that can be shaped with a spoon.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

One by one, dip vanilla wafers into the bourbon-water mixture and lay them on the bottom of your chosen serving dish. Cover the wafers with a layer of custard (use about a third of the custard). Follow with a layer of banana slices, placing them in circles. Cover the bananas with custard (about another third) and then add another layer of vanilla wafers that have been dipped in the bourbon-water mixture. Add a thin layer of custard, then the remaining banana slices. Cover with the remaining custard.

Spread the meringue over the top of the custard, being sure to cover the edges. Take a spoon and make little peaks in the meringue so that it won't be flat when baked. Place a ring of vanilla wafers, rounded side up, around the edge of the pudding, pushing them down just enough so that there appears to be a "crown" of wafers.

Bake the pudding in the preheated oven for 4 minutes or until the meringue feels set and the little peaks have browned. You may serve the pudding right away, cool it to room temperature and serve, or refrigerate it and serve the next day.