May 1st is my Mother’s birthday. Her generation was so secretive about their age! People were always trying to find out how old she
was! In the 1970’s, when I was in my 40’s, she told me to stop telling people how old I was because they could figure out her age!
The photo shown here is my Mother and me in 1934.
This month I’d like to share one of my most prized recipes of hers because it is the one that “sealed the deal” with my future husband,
Emery Evans! Banana pudding was his absolute favorite dessert and my Mother made the best! The old fashioned cooked pudding is the
one I’m sharing with you this month.
A little voice in my head says, “Oh No!”…Do you suppose it’s her voice? Anyway, it far surpasses
the modern “instant” kind of banana pudding! And just maybe it will “seal the deal” with someone you love, too! So here is my
Mother’s recipe for
Mother’s Banana Pudding
¼ granulated sugar
3½ Tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
2½ cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
¼ cup granulated sugar
1
Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 or 4 ripe bananas (ripe but not brown)
3 egg whites
6 Tbsp. granulated sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
extract
Vanilla wafers
Combine the ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch and salt in the top of a double boiler. Add the milk gradually, stirring constantly. (I use a
whisk). Cook, over boiling water, until thickened, stirring constantly.
Beat the egg yolks and the ¼ cup sugar with a fork till pale yellow. Add a little of the hot mixture and pour the egg yolk/hot mixture into the rest of the hot mixture. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tsp. vanilla. Cool.
When cool put
a little of the pudding on bottom of serving dish (a round 2 qt. pyrex dish is nice), then put a layer of sliced bananas, then half
of the pudding, a second layer of bananas, and the rest of the pudding. For looks, put some vanilla wafers, in a single row all
around the edge of the bowl, - round side facing inside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Make the meringue. Beat the 3 egg whites until almost stiff, adding the 6 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until stiff. Spread meringue evenly over pudding and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Note: The reason you add the sugar slowly is so the sugar is dissolved. When you see “beads” on meringue after it’s baked, it’s because the sugar was not dissolved.