Baked Banana Pudding Alton Brown Food

SWEET CORN BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sweat onions with butter and herbs in an oven safe skillet until translucent.
• Combine corn, cream, eggs, baking powder, cornmeal, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add cubed bread and fold to combine. Pour batter into skillet, right on top of the onion mixture. Bake 50 minutes, or until set. Cool slightly before serving.

VANILLA WAFERS

Steps:

• Position 1 oven rack in the top third of the oven and another in the bottom third. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after 1 minute. Add the egg and incorporate on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl. Add the vanilla extract and milk and blend on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just to incorporate. Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before scooping.
• Scoop the batter in teaspoon-sized balls and arrange them on 2 parchment paper-lined half sheet pans, approximately 35 cookies per pan. Use the heel of your hand to slightly flatten each ball. Bake, 2 pans at a time, rotating the pans halfway through the baking, until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans to a cooling rack to cool completely before removing the cookies from the pan.

SOUTHERN-STYLE BAKED BANANA PUDDING

Steps:

• Separate eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and the yolks into a saucepan.
• Add sugar, salt, and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour to the yolks. Splash in about 1/4 of the milk and start blending mixture with a whisk. Pour in remaining milk and whisk until smooth.
• Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until hot to the touch, occasionally dipping your finger in to test. Whisk constantly until custard is thick enough to form ribbons.
• Remove custard from heat and add vanilla extract, banana liqueur, and cold butter. Whisk until butter dissolves. Set custard aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Toss banana slices with lemon juice.
• Spread a quarter of the custard over the bottom of a baking dish. Add a single layer of vanilla wafers. Cover with 1/2 of the bananas and spread 1/2 of the remaining custard on top. Add another layer of vanilla wafers, using slightly fewer this time. Top with the remaining bananas and custard. Smooth the top and tap dish against the counter to settle the pudding.
• Add cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat using the whisk attachment until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Spread meringue over the pudding using a soft spatula, creating ridges for contrast.
• Bake in the preheated oven until meringue is nicely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

REFRIGERATED BANANA PUDDING

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and salt in a 3-quart saucier. Add the eggs and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Add the milk and whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 172° to 180ºF, 5 to 10 minutes; the mixture will begin to thicken and bubble around the edges. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, ensuring each piece is fully incorporated before adding the next. Whisk in the vanilla. Cover the surface of the pudding with a round piece of parchment paper and refrigerate until the pudding reaches 45ºF, about 2 hours.
• Lay the vanilla wafers in a single layer on a half sheet pan. Slowly and evenly pour the banana liqueur over the cookies. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Toss the banana slices with the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
• Spread a small amount of pudding in the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart glass mixing bowl. Cover with a layer of vanilla wafers, followed by a layer of banana slices. Spoon one-third of the remaining pudding on top of the bananas and repeat, ending with a layer of pudding.
• Put the whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and whisk just until stiff peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream over the cooled pudding and spread to cover completely. Top with any remaining soaked cookies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

BAKED BANANA PUDDING: RELOADED

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400ºF.
• Toss the banana slices and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
• Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, the corn starch, salt, egg yolks, and whole milk in the carafe of a blender. Blend on high for about 15 seconds. Pour the mixture into a 3-quart saucier and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 172° to 180ºF, 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken and bubble around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
• Spread a small amount of the pudding in the bottom of an oven-safe 1 1/2-quart glass mixing bowl. Cover with a layer of vanilla wafers, followed by a layer of banana slices. Pour one-third of the remaining pudding on top of the bananas and repeat, ending with a layer of pudding.
• Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spoon the meringue over the warm pudding, being sure to cover the edges. Bake until the meringue is evenly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pudding from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cool completely before refrigerating. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

ALTON BROWN'S REFRIGERATED BANANA PUDDING

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch and salt in a 3-quart saucier. Add the eggs and egg yolk and whisk to combine. Add the milk and whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 172 to 180 degrees F, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken and bubble around the edges. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, being sure each piece is fully incorporated before adding the next. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Cover the surface of the pudding with a round piece of parchment and refrigerate until the pudding reaches 45 degrees F, approximately 2 hours.
• Lay the vanilla wafers on a half sheet pan. Slowly and evenly pour the banana liqueur over the cookies. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Toss the banana slices with the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
• Spread a small amount of pudding in the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart glass mixing bowl. Cover with a layer of vanilla wafers, followed by a layer of banana slices. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining pudding on top of the bananas and repeat, ending with a layer of pudding.
• Put the whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and whisk just until stiff peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream over the cooled pudding and spread to cover completely. Top with any remaining soaked cookies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.