Banana Pudding

Hi WEEC listeners,


Wednesday's Segment referenced my friend Jack and his love of Banana Pudding.  The pastry cream below is the pudding layer of the dish.  Use vanilla wafers and ripe bananas to create the dessert.  Add the whipped cream if you want a lighter taste to the pudding.  Leave out and you will still have a rich tasting pudding base for your dish.


Layer the cookies in a dish or bowl, spread about 1/2" layer of pastry cream, then a layer of bananas.  Repeat with the pastry cream as the final layer.  It can be thinly spread over the banana layer to prevent them from turning brown.


I'm also including the tart dough I reference in the notes farther on down.


'Confectionate'ly Yours,


Sue


Pastry Cream


3 c. milk (not skim)
1/4 c. cornstarch
3/4 c. sugar (or Splenda for sugar free recipe)
4 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt 
4 T. butter
2 tsp. vanilla 
1 c. heavy cream, whipped (optional)

1 T. all purpose flour


Separate eggs and save (or freeze) the whites for another use. In a medium sized sauce pan, stir together 2-1/2 cups of the milk, sugar, & salt.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk. 
Whisk some of the hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture
until smooth. This will temper the eggs so they will not "scramble" when you add them to the rest of the hot mixture.


Whisk the egg mixture into the hot milk and return
to the stove. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in the butter and vanilla. 


Place plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate until cool. Fold in the whipped cream into the cooled mixture. 



Use this cream to fill eclairs, cream puffs, or
as the 'pudding' layer for banana pudding, or to fill tart shells.


Note: This recipe can be used so many ways. One of my favorites is to pipe a small amount into a tart shell, press in one slice of a perfectly ripe banana and cover it with the cream. The banana flavor will infuse into the cream. Garnish with a smidgen of whipped cream and a banana "chip" for presentation.




LIGHT AND CRISP TART
DOUGH
2-1/2 c. all purpose flour
 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 c. sugar
 2-4 T. cold heavy cream or ice water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 

small pieces

Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and process 

until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. 

With processor running, add 

egg yolks. Stop the processor and add the ice water or cream.

Pulse briefly (no more 

than 30 seconds) until dough begins to come together. Pat dough into a disk and wrap 

in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. This dough can be made up to 2 days in advance 

or frozen up to one month. 

When ready to use, roll out dough 1/8". I use a round

cookie cutter approximately the same size of the tart pan to cut dough, then place into 

tart pan and press into shape. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. 

Prick dough with fork, 

then place a small piece of aluminum foil onto the dough. Fill foil with pie weights or 

dried beans. This will keep the dough from shrinking in pan while baking. 

Bake @ 

350° for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and remove from tart pan. Fill 

with your favorite mousse, pudding, pastry cream, lemon curd or fruit filling. These 

have a crisp cookie texture.

Note: I keep dried beans in a labeled container just for pie crusts. They should not be 

used for cooking after being used as pie weights. Baked crusts may be frozen, then 

filled when ready to serve. They are fairly delicate, so don't stack too many on top of 

each other when freezing or storing.

Use this cream to fill eclairs, cream puffs, or
as the 'pudding' layer for banana pudding, or to fill tart shells.


Note: This recipe can be used so many ways. One of my favorites is to pipe a small amount into a tart shell, press in one slice of a perfectly ripe banana and cover it with the cream. The banana flavor will infuse into the cream. Garnish with a smidgen of whipped cream and a banana "chip" for presentation.