Spiced Rum and caramel make this classic treat even better than the original! There’s no need to turn on the oven for this dessert, making it perfect to whip up on a hot day.
Components
- Vanilla Pudding
- Caramelized Bananas
- Whipped Cream
- 1 box Nilla Wafers or Graham Crackers
Vanilla Pudding
- 500g (2 cup) whole milk
- 125g (2/3 cup) sugar
- 4g (½ tsp) salt
- 120g (6 each) egg yolks
- 36g (4 Tbsp + 2 tsp) cornstarch
- ½ tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 50 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold
In a small saucepot, bring milk to a boil. While the milk is heating up, in a heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, and sugar until well combined. When the milk comes up to a boil, slowly whisk into egg yolk mixture. Return the milk/egg yolks to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a bubble over medium/high heat and cook, whisking for about one minute. Once the custard has cooked, remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until completely melted. Transfer the hot pudding to a container or a bowl to cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Place the pudding in the fridge to cool until you are ready to use it, it can be made up to 4 days in advance.
Caramelized Bananas
- 115g (½ cup) sugar
- 20g (1 ½ Tbsp) butter, cold
- 400g (about 4 each) ripe bananas, sliced into ¼ inch coins
- 50g (4 Tbsp) Distiller’s Workshop Spiced Rum
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ tsp salt
Make a caramel by heating a sautée pan on medium to medium-high heat and let it warm up for about one minute. Sprinkle in a very thin layer of sugar (about ⅕ of the total amount of sugar). When the sugar is completely melted, add another thin layer of sugar and stir gently until it is fully melted. Add the remaining sugar in small additions and stir to combine until all of the sugar has been incorporated. This should take about 5 additions depending on the size of your pan. As you add more and more sugar, the mixture will begin to get a golden brown hue and caramelize. If it seems like the process is going too fast for your comfort, don’t sweat it, just take the pot off the heat for a moment and adjust your burner temp down. Cook the sugar until it reaches a rich amber color. Add in the butter and stir until fully incorporated. Add the bananas to the caramel, tossing to coat them in the caramel. Add the spiced rum, and continue cooking the bananas until they begin to break down and thicken (about 4 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When the bananas have broken down and the mixture has thickened, add the salt and lemon juice and stir to combine. Transfer to a container to cool until ready to assemble.
Whipped Cream
- 400g (1 ⅔ cup) heavy cream, chilled
- 80g (⅓ cup) sour cream
- 15g (2 Tbsp) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
By hand, or with a stand or handheld mixer, whip all ingredients until medium/stiff peaks form. Whipped cream is best just after it’s made, so whip it up when you’re ready to assemble the banana pudding.
To Assemble:
Reserve about 10 Nilla wafers or two graham crackers and lightly crush them to use as a garnish. Spread a thin layer of pudding on the bottom of a 2.5 qt baking dish. Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of cookies. Top with half of the remaining pudding mixture and spread evenly over the cookies.
Add half of the banana mixture and spread evenly. Add half of the whipped cream and spread evenly over the banana layer. Place another layer of cookies over the whipped cream layer, then repeat the layers (pudding/banana/whipped cream) with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle the crushed-up cookies over the top to garnish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or until ready to serve. The banana pudding will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
