Ingredients For A Fabulous Life
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Creamy Brandied Banana Pudding breaks all the rules! Vanilla wafers have been replaced with your choice of Biscotti, Salted Caramel Cookies or Piroulines right from the grocers!
BRANDIED BANANA PUDDING IS FANCY ENOUGH FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Brandied Banana Pudding is one of those homey desserts that stirs memories in lots of us who grew up on the stuff. Some enjoyed pudding from a box, while others knew nothing but homemade pudding from scratch. Either way, they both most likely used lots of Nilla Vanilla wafers to give it the customary taste and texture.
Whatever version you so dearly remember, my recipe for Brandied Banana Pudding probably isn’t anything like it! As I said, this recipe breaks all the rules. It doesn’t use boxed pudding, but I’ll show you how simple it is to make your own!
Nor does it have layers of bananas and vanilla cookies throughout, as the traditional recipe features.
I’m all for scouring the bakery or grocers’ for some “gourmet” cookies to use instead. I chose Crispy Salted Caramel Cookies, long and elegant Piroulines, and Almond Biscotti broken into big chunks.
BRANDIED BANANA PUDDING, “YOUR WAY”
And this is where you can “do your own thing”. You choose whether to layer your cookies between the Brandied Banana Pudding. I liked the idea of a “pretty” presentation and opted to serve extra cookies along side instead.
You choose to either just top your banana pudding with the Brandied Bananas recipe or go whole hog.
Adding some between layers of pudding and crumbled cookies just makes this recipe that much more decadent!
NAN’S TIP: USE A SLOTTED SPOON TO DRAIN OFF MOST OF THE SAUCE WHEN USING BETWEEN LAYERS OF PUDDING. YOU DON’T WANT MAKE YOUR PUDDING WATERY!
I know that the thought of making homemade pudding might intimidate some of you. And, rightly so, you’re thinking that boxed pudding is really pretty darn good. Well, that’s certainly true, and I use them all the time!
One day in the future I’ll share my Mom’s recipe for Pistachio-Whiskey Cake. The batter uses pistachio pudding mix, a shot of whiskey, and is studded with chocolate chips!
It’s another recipe from my childhood that I remember with my mouth watering. She can’t remember the recipe’s source, so it could have very well come from a magazine or the food section of the newspaper. I bet some of you have a similar recipe in your family too!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING
The actual cooking time on the stove top for Brandied Banana Pudding is about 20 minutes or so. Beaten eggs are added to the sweetened milk mixture toward the end of the cooking process. Once the milk has begun to thicken, the eggs are slowly introduced to the pan.
Most of you will be familiar with the process necessary when adding raw eggs to a hot mixture. But if you aren’t, here’s how to keep your beaten eggs from scrambling:
- Remove the hot pan of milk from the heat and let sit for a minute while you beat your eggs in a medium bowl
- While constantly whisking, slowly pour 1/3 cup of the hot liquid into the eggs
- Slowly pour egg mixture into the hot pan of milk while continuously whisking
- Return pan to stove top and continue with cooking process as directed in the recipe
And that is the toughest part of this entire recipe for Brandied Banana Pudding! That’s not very hard at all, is it?
BRANDIED BANANAS RECIPE – It’s Not Just For Banana Pudding
My Brandied Bananas recipe’s sauce has only three ingredients, so they need to be of high quality to let this sauce shine.
I recommend you buy some great imported or Amish butter. Unlike some recipes, you can taste the difference.
It’s a great idea to tuck a pound of nice butter in the refrigerator reserved for recipes just like Brandied Bananas.
Here’s some great ways to use a batch of these fabulous Brandied Bananas:
- Use as a topping for ice cream
- Roasted Banana Splits
- Top a thick slice of pound cake and add a dollop of whipped cream
- Fill puff pastry with vanilla custard and top with brandied bananas and nuts
- Drain and add as a filling between layers of cake and icing for a lovely “torte”
You can whip up this recipe in 5 minutes flat, so it can be ready to eat soon after the urge hits you!
You just need to keep a few bananas and some ice cream in the kitchen to facilitate your late-night hunger pangs!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE: BRANDIED BANANAS RECIPE
WHY NOT TRY BRANDIED BANANA PUDDING SOON!
I can’t wait for you to give this recipe a try! It’s just “fancy” enough to serve to guests at any time of year, especially the busy holiday season.
Let me know how you like this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below this post.
Did you discover a brand new way to use these fabulous brandied bananas, besides in Brandied Banana Pudding? I’m on a need to know basis, here y’all, so give me a shout out and let me know!
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Brandied Banana Pudding
Creamy, rich banana pudding, topped with decadent brandied bananas and garnished with Gourmet purchased cookies of your choice. Talk about sublimely easy and delicious!
Ingredients
- BANANA PUDDING
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- One cup half-and-half
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Thickener, if desired
- Biscotti / Salted Caramel Cookies / Piroulines
- BRANDIED BANANAS
- 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 6 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp. brandy
- 5 large ripe bananas, sliced thickly
Instructions
- PUDDING - In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Place the pan over medium heat, add the milk and 1/2 & 1/2, whisking until fully combined with the sugar mixture.
- Cook and stir the milk mixture until it begins to thicken and starts to bubble up. Reduce the heat to low, and continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes to continue thickening.
- Remove pan from heat. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until well beaten. Slowly add 1/3 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, beating continuously to keep the eggs from scrambling. Slowly pour the entire egg mixture into the hot milk, whisking continuously until fully incorporated.
- Return the pan to stove top over medium-low heat and let come back to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes while constantly stirring the pot.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cool completely, refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. SEE NOTE
- BRANDIED BANANAS - In a medium non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar is melted. When the mixture begins to bubble, add the brandy stir continuously until the sauce has incorporated the liquid. Let simmer for 1 minute.
- Add half the sliced bananas to the pan and stir to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on ripeness of bananas.
- Remove pan from heat, add remaining bananas. Stir gently to combine.
- Serve hot, warm or chilled with cookies or banana pudding.
- ASSEMBLY - In individual serving dishes, add a portion of banana pudding, top with brandied bananas and garnish with purchased cookies of your choice. You can crumble the cookies for a topping or layer between the pudding.
Notes
If your pudding isn't as thick as you'd like, while still warm, whisk in a few tablespoons of a thickener like Cornaby's E-Z Gel before refrigerating.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 433Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 131mgSodium 318mgCarbohydrates 65gFiber 3gSugar 48gProtein 7g
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