On the subject of pudding....

Earlier this week I used homemade pudding to make the Blueberry Banger Trifle.  I had to refer back to this recipe for homemade "Banana Pudding".  My mom made this every Thanksgiving since I can remember.  I love it.  I made it recently to alleviate a little spell of homesickness.  It's that kind of comfort food; rich, creamy and delicious.  Again, this is a layered dessert and doesn't take long, except for the pudding thickening part.

Find some old-fashioned comfort with this dish today!

Banana Pudding      
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of sugar
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
2 cups milk (I use 1%)
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 box Nilla Wafers
2-3 large bananas, sliced

Method:

• Mix together sugar & flour in a medium saucepan, over low heat. 
• Gradually add milk, whisking constantly
• Allow the sugar/milk mixture cook on low, stirring often, until it thickens and starts to bubble (Watch carefully and make sure you keep it over low.  Milk scalds easily.  This part feels like it takes forever, which it kinda does.  It's worth it though and I promise, it does eventually thicken!)    
• Once the mixture thickens, add 4 Tbsp. of the thickened mixture to the beaten eggs (this acclimates the eggs to the pudding temperature, slowly).
• Add the eggs to the milk/sugar mixture and stir.  Allow to cook over low heat for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.  Add butter and vanilla, mix well.
• Now you are ready to layer!  Nilla Wafers, Banana Slices, Pudding, Nilla Wafers, Banana, Pudding Nilla Wafers.

 Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe         

Just A Little Trifle!

This dessert came about through a series of inspirations and culinary failures.  The end result was, I believe, a consummate success!  I will quote my friend Kelly on the end result, "I could seriously picture myself in a chair eating that trifle until I go into a coma."  That statement, my friends, is what every baker dreams of hearing, honestly!!!  So, here's the inspiration portion of the creation.  I wanted to make trifle, but my husband can't eat chocolate anymore.  So what to do?  I decided to make a fruit and vanilla pudding trifle.  For the cake.... Harvey Wallbanger, a Buegge family (or Whitley family) tradition!  I adjusted it and didn't add the pudding and exchanged orange juice for lemon juice (because of other ideas that were percolating in my head at that moment).  I had blueberries in the freezer that I had picked the previous summer, sumptuous blueberries that would taste great with a lemon flavor somewhere in the trifle!  Now for the failure turned inspiration portion.  I had a box of instant pudding, which normally goes in Harvey Wallbanger, but would be kept out to layer instead.  I tried to use almond milk in place of regular milk.  This was not a success, it was soupy.  Soooooo, change of plans..... make your own pudding from scratch; vanilla-lemon pudding!!!  So I had my layers, Harvey Wallbanger cake, vanilla-lemon pudding, blueberries and whip cream, Oh My!  It does take a bit of time to do this, but the results are so very worth it.

Here's to your trifle coma!!!

Blueberry Banger Trifle 
Ingredients:
Cake -
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Vodka
1/4 cup Galliano
1/4 cup lemon juice
Pudding -
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
4 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Rest of the trifle
Blueberries (about 2-3 cups)
Whip cream (enough to layer 2 times)

Method:

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix all cake ingredients together and bake for 30-40 minutes.  I bake the cake in a lightly greased bundt pan.  Then cut the cake into cubes.  

• In a medium saucepan combine 3/4 cup of sugar and 2 Tbsp. flour and slowly add 2 cups of milk, while stirring/whisking.

 

• Cook mixture on low (this is important because milk can easily scald - I will warn you, this feels like it takes forever and honestly, it kinda does - it's the longest part of this dessert).
• Once the mixture thickens and bubbles, add 4 Tbsp. of the hot mixture to the beaten eggs and stir in.  Then add the eggs to the full sugar/milk mixture.
• Cook for 2 more minutes.
• Then remove from heat and add butter, vanilla and lemon juice.  Stir.
• Now you are ready to layer.  Cake pieces, pudding, blueberries, whip cream, blueberries, cake, pudding, blueberries and whip cream!

Enjoy!!!

Click here for printable recipe