Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding Recipe

Yield: one 4-quart casserole dish or one large trifle dish

Ingredients

For the pastry cream:

• 24 oz milk
• 6 oz sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 oz corn starch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 heavy pinch Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt
• 1 oz unsalted butter

For the caramelized banana filling:

• 4 ripe bananas
• 4 oz butter
• 2 oz Noble Saltworks Smoked Maple Turbinado
• 2 oz Rum, or banana liquor
• 1 pinch Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt

For the banana bread:

• 4 very ripe or overripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup Juniper Clay Zingerz Cinnamon-Infused Honey

Whipped Cream:

• 2 pints heavy cream, cold
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Caramelized Banana Slices (optional):

• 2-3 ripe bananas
• Noble Saltworks Smoked Maple Turbinado, as needed

Instructions

To make the pastry cream:

• Scale your ingredients.
• In a large saucepan, place all the milk, salt, and vanilla.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add about 10 percent of your milk mixture in and whisk until a smooth paste. Follow up by whisking in all the eggs until a homogenous slurry is formed.
• Bring milk mixture to a boil, and temper with the slurry mixture.
• Return all of the pastry cream ingredients (except for the butter) to the saucepan, and gradually bring back to a boil, while whisking constantly. Once the cream has properly thickened, remove from heat. Taste, and add butter.
• Promptly cover and allow to cool.
• *If you happen to have a vitamix blender, or other equally powerful blender with a "hot soups" function, you can follow instructions similar to the smoky chocolate pudding.

To make the caramelized banana filling:

• Place 2 oz of Noble Saltworks Smoked Maple Turbinado with a couple of tablespoons of water in a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and cook over medium-high heat until it begins to caramelize.
• Add the sliced bananas and cook until the bananas begin to absorb the caramel, stirring occasionally.
• Deglaze the pan with the rum and cook until the alcohol has burned off.
• Add the butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to completely melt and meld into the caramelized banana mixture, then pull off the heat.
• Cool before folding half of it into to the cooled pastry cream.

To make the banana bread:

• Preheat Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 350°F.
• Either by hand or with an immersion blender, blend the bananas and sugar until smooth.
• Blend Juniper Clay Zingerz Cinnamon-Infused Honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla into the banana mix until fully incorporated.
• Sift together dry ingredients and add to wet mix. Mix until you have a smooth batter.
• Pour batter into 2 greased and lined loaf pans.
• Bake for one hour or more for the loaf pans, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• **Note: you only need one loaf pan to build your banana pudding. The other loaf is to enjoy on its own!

To make whipped cream:

• Combine chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar and whip until medium peaks are formed.

To make caramelized banana slices:

• Slice bananas and lay them on a flame-proof surface, such as a metal sheet pan.
• Put about a quarter-teaspoon to a half-teaspoon of Noble Saltworks Smoked Maple Turbinado Sugar on each banana slice.
• Torch each banana slice until the sugar begins to bubble. Allow to cool before handling further.

To assemble:

• Prep your banana bread by taking one loaf and slicing it into 3/4" cubes.
• Prep your banana pudding by taking half of the caramelized banana filling and folding it into the vanilla pastry cream.
• Begin building in your 4-quart casserole dish or trifle dish by spreading the remaining half of the caramelized banana filling onto the bottom.
• Follow up with half of the cubes of your cut-up banana bread.
• Spread an even layer of half of the banana pudding. Follow up with another layer of banana bread cubes, then another layer on top of that of the remaining banana pudding.
• Top with whipped cream, and place in the fridge to set up.
• As an option, make caramelized banana slices right before serving for a beautiful presentation.