Banana Pudding

Memories of the Texas winds drifting through the screen doors, making their way from one side of my Grandparent’s house to the other – the rustling of the leaves on the cottonwood trees breaking the quiet of a country afternoon. Sweet tea with beads of moisture running down the side of the glass, ready to offer relief from the heat of the fields. And there on the kitchen table, a bowl piled high with a luscious cold and creamy banana pudding.

There is nothing quite as comforting – or as Southern as banana pudding. Pillows of fluffy cream with layers of sweet bananas and vanilla wafers that magically transform into little cakelike bites.

I have so many recipes for banana pudding but this is the one my Mom made most often. Original versions of this classic dessert start with a vanilla custard slowly cooked on the stovetop. Wonderful indeed, but our schedules don’t always allow us the luxury of time. And though we love “from scratch” cooking, this recipe cuts the prep time in half by taking advantage of those little boxes of instant pudding – a trick my Mom embraced!

The vanilla pudding is folded into a delectable blend of lightly sweetened whipped cream and mascarpone cheese. Then vanilla wafers and bananas are cradled between layers of the delightful fluff!

Some tips. Don’t use overly ripe bananas for this dessert. You want them to hold up in the custard. For the vanilla wafers, I use Slaton Bakery’s Vanilla Wafers they are exceptional! Baked in a local bakery in Slaton, Texas, their vanilla wafers and gingersnaps are now widely available in Texas and online.

I love using mascarpone cheese, that luscious Italian style cream cheese. It provides a subtle richness and structure to the whipped cream. If you can’t find it you can use softened cream cheese as a substitute. And the amount of milk is less than called for on the box of the pudding mix. This provides a thicker base to fold into the whipped cream mixture.

Pour yourself a glass of sweet tea, spoon up a dish of this classic Southern goodness and enjoy the memories!

Banana Pudding

40 to 50 vanilla wafers

2 to 4 bananas, sliced

3 cups cold milk

2 packages instant vanilla pudding, 5-ounce packages

2 cups heavy cream

1 carton mascarpone cheese, 8-ounces, at room temperature

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Crushed vanilla wafers for garnish

In a medium mixing bowl combine the pudding mix with the milk. Whisk for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the pudding has thickened. Chill while you whip the cream.

In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Add the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Continue beating until the cream is thick and stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Gently fold the chilled pudding into the whipped cream mixture until blended. Line the bottom of a deep bowl or trifle dish with vanilla wafers. Cover with a layer of the pudding and cream mixture. Place a layer of the banana slices on top of the cream.

Repeat the layers finishing with the pudding and cream on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Garnish with a sprinkling of crushed vanilla wafers.

Serves 8 to 10.