Conference turris::cooks

    
    It's on the box of 'Nilla Vanilla Wafers....
    
    Kristen

In the South, we grew up on this stuff...

This recipe was on the Nilla Wafers box for about a million years, and my 
wife used to just use the recipe right from the box.  Then 10 years or so 
ago, they switched to one that used instant vanilla pudding instead of the 
boiled custard.  Pat suddenly found herself without a banana pudding 
recipe.  She finally bought a cookbook called "Best Recipes from the Backs 
of Boxes, Bottles, Cans, and Jars" and found the recipe there, so she's 
back in the old-fashioned banana pudding business again.  It's sooooooooo 
good!

                               BANANA PUDDING

3/4 c. sugar, granulated
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Nabisco Nilla Wafers
5 - 6 medium size fully ripe bananas, sliced

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and salt in top of double boiler.  Mix in 1 
whole egg and 3 egg yolks.  Stir in milk.  Cook uncovered over boiling 
water, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Remove from heat; add 
vanilla.  Spread small amount on bottom of 1-1/2 quart casserole; cover 
with layer of Nilla Wafers.  Top with layer of sliced bananas.  Pour about 
1/3 of custard over bananas.  Continue to layer wafers, bananas, and 
custard to make 3 layers of each, ending with custard.  Beat remaining 3 
egg whites until stiff but not dry; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar 
and beat until mixture forms stiff peaks.  Pile on top of pudding covering 
entire surface.  Bake in preheated hot oven (425) 5 minutes or until 
delicately browned.  Serve warm of chilled.  Makes 8 (about 3/4 cup) 
servings.

Editorial comment:  Because of the salmonella danger in uncooked eggs, Pat 
has started cooking the pudding at about 325 instead of 425.  It takes a 
little longer to brown, but gives the meringue a chance to heat through and 
hopefully kill the small buggies.

Steve

    Re -1.  Thanks!  Just what I was looking for!  I never had this growing
    up so it was a new sensation!  It's a nice dessert for summer evenings.
    

BANANA PUDDING
--------------

2/3 cup sugar
3 TBS plus 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (12-oz) pkg. vanilla wafers
6 large bananas
1/4 cup plus 2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp. banana extract

Combine 2/3 cup sugar, flour, and salt in a heavy saucepan.  Combine milks and
egg yolks; stir well.  Add to dry ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until smooth and thickened.  Remove pudding mixture from heat; stir
in vanilla.

Arrange one-third of wafers in the bottom of a 3-quart glass baking dish.  
Slice 2 bananas, and layer over wafers.  Pour one-third of pudding
mixture over bananas.  Repeat layers twice, arranging remaining wafers around
outside edge of dish.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) at high speed of electric mixer until
soft peaks form.  Gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 TBS sugar, 1 TBS at a time,
beating until stiff peaks form.  Fold in banana extract.  Spread meringue over
pudding, sealing to edge of dish.  Bake at 425 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until
meringue is golden brown.  Yield:  8 to 10 servings.

    RE: .2
    
    We bought Nilla Wafers last night and the original recipe is on
    the box again.....thanks for posting...
    
    Kristen

    Thanks for the postings.   Both sound wonderful and I
    will try them.  Don't you think this
    is a perfect summer dessert??
    
    

    I'm trying to find something that my husband has been dreaming about,
    which his mom used to make years ago:
                    
    Small (about 4" in diameter) open pie shells made on *real* pie crust,
    filled with vanilla pudding containing sliced bananas, topped with
    *real* whipped cream, then strawberry slices.
    
    Any pointers how to make the little pie shells?  Or can I find these
    premade (blasphemy!) somewhere?
    
    Thanks, 
    marcia
    

    My mother used to make those littlel pies too.  You can (or used to be
    able to) buy the small pie pans.  Just use regular pie pastry.  Roll it
    out and cut circles to fit the smaller pie shells.  Bake them for a
    shorter time, of course.
    
    My mother made a vanilla custard with bananas sometimes.  Sometimes
    butterscotch, lemon custard.  You name it.  They were delicious.
    
    I think you might be able to research this in the Joy of Cooking.
    
    
    

    Could these little pie pans you refer to be tarlets?  I have some small
    tarlets, about 4 inches across, which are made by La Forme.  They are
    scallop shaped around the edges.  Anyway, Williams Sonoma sells them by
    the 1/2 dozen. (Mine came from Kitchens Etc - about $3 a piece) 

    Use standard pie pastry, bake the crusts in the oven until
    lightly golden brown, and then make vanilla pudding.
    When pudding is done, add sliced banana to the pudding
    and then pour pudding into the shells.  Refridgerate until
    set, and then add berries & WC before serving.
    
    HRH
    
    

    re: .9
    
    No they are not fluted.  They look like a regular pie pan but they are
    small.  They have a lip so you can make a fancy edge on the pie. 
    
    I have not looked for them to be honest.  I have my mother's and never
    use them any how.  
    
    I really think these little things are from the "Ladies Who Lunch" era
    and probably are not available in this day and age.   It was always a
    mystery to me how they could put one pie on one plate and one woman 
    eat it.  Burp!
    
    Mary Lou

    I've seen pre-made, frozen small pie crusts.
    
    					andrew

    Where's Kitchens, Etc.?  
    
    I'll keep an eye out for those pre-made frozen pie crusts-- though my
    husband already told me he won't enjoy it :^).  Guess I shouldn't
    bother buying FROZEN, huh?  Is he spoiled, or what???  
    
    So, you think I can find these small little pie tins at a specialty
    kitchen shop?  I live in Central Mass.  There are kitchen shops in the
    Auburn and Greendale Malls (Lechters).  Perhaps I should check them
    out.
    
    Guess what?  I've never made my own pie crust from scratch.  Nope; I
    *have* bought the pie crust mix in a box and then baked.  Maybe I'll
    try that.  Now there's a compromise!  I've always been afraid of pie
    crusts for some reason...  Afraid they'll come out heavy and dry. 
    Blech.
    
    Anyway... need to find those small individual pie pans somewhere--
    about the size of little tarts.
    
    Thanks!

    You could always find the little pie tins, then buy the ready made
    crusts, transfer them to the little pie tins....Think your hubby will
    know the difference?
    
    Sandy

    Along the lines of .14 - Buy the premade custs, throw out the crust and
    use THOSE pans!
    
    Debbie
    

    ...and HIDE them when he comes into the kitchen while I'm making the
    stuff!

    I buy small aluminum-foil pans that are about the right size for a
    pot pie at PaperWorld near Lincoln Square in Worcester.  They have all
    sizes and shapes of pans AND they have tops for most of them.  They
    also have a fair section of cake decorating/baking items.  You might
    also find something more permanent there.
    
    Judy