Banana Pudding

 

While Ken had COVID, our cute neighbor left two big cups of this delicious pudding on our doorstep.  We enjoyed it sitting on the front porch, sitting 10 feet apart.  A delicious pudding and a happy memory.

Banana Pudding

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup milk

1 3.4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding

6 cups sweetened whipped cream or 16 oz. tub of Cool Whip

11 oz box vanilla wafers OR Erin used coconut flavored cookies.  They were delicious.

3 bananas, sliced

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, milk, and pudding mix and continue to whip.  Fold in half of the whipped cream until just combined.  

To assemble the pudding, use a 3-quart straight-sided bowl or you can use individual glasses, Or you can assemble it in a 13 x 9 pan, as shown above. Cover the bottom with vanilla wafers, arranging them in a single layer without overlapping.  Spoon about 1/3 of the pudding mixture.  Cover the pudding with another layer of cookies, then slice bananas on top of the cookies.  Spoon half of the pudding that is left on top of the bananas, then more cookies, then another layer of bananas.  Then spoon the remaining pudding, then another layer of cookies.  Then spread the remaining cream on top. and smooth the surface.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.

Brown Pudding

Kristen's husband is from South Africa, of English descent.  This pudding is an old English tradition and is absolutely delicious. He grew up eating it and now makes it for his family. Kristen made it for us when we visited recently.  They say the ice cream on top is absolutely essential.  I can live with that!

Lissi saw mom cooking and pulled up a stool to help.  Two-year-olds are so much help.  Kristen is so patient.

Brown Pudding

Mixture 1

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. apricot jam

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons baking soda

Dry ingredients:

3 cups flour 

1 T. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Melt the butter and add the sugar and jam.  Dissolve the baking soda in the milk.  Mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately into the hot butter/sugar mixture.  

Mixture 2

In a large saucepan, boil

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 cups water

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

When boiling, add Mixture 1 to the boiling syrup.

Put a lid on the pan and cook slowly, simmering, for 1 hour.  

It takes a long time, but it is worth it!  It is delicious.

Next Best Thing to Robert Redford Dessert

This recipe was SO popular, what maybe 20-30 years ago.  I guess about when Robert Redford was popular and oh so handsome.  I wonder who came up with that name?  The sentiment is old, but the dessert is still delicious.  You can vary the flavor by what instant pudding mix flavors you choose.  Shown is butterscotch with vanilla.  It is yummy, especially with pecans on top.  My favorite, though, is probably chocolate with french vanilla with chocolate curls on top.  I've done two pistachios with chopped pistachios on top and two lemon with vanilla wafer crumbs on top and two coconut with toasted coconut on top.  All are yummy.  I made this for father's day as it is one of my husband's very favorite desserts (and I was too lazy to make pie!)

Next Best Thing to Robert Redford
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter (the real thing!)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Mix together and press into a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake 15 minutes at 350.  Let cool.
Mix and put on top of cooled first layer:
8 oz. cream cheese- softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cool whip
Put in fridge to set up while you mix up the 3rd layer:
2 small packages instant pudding- combination of any two flavors: vanilla, french vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, pistachio, coconut, lemon
3 cups cold milk
Put on top of layer two, then top with layer 4:
1 8 oz. tub cool whip

You can garnish with pecans, chocolate curls, cookie crumbs, pistachio nuts, lemon slices,  etc. if you like.
Let set in the fridge and serve.  Store leftovers in the fridge (they won't last long!)

Blueberry Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Ganache

I know.  Just reading the title gets your mouth watering. I love bread pudding and this amped- up version is delicious.  If you need a nice dessert for guests- or just your family- this one is rich and yummy.  Make the whole recipe in a 9 x 13 pan or half it and bake in a 9 x9 pan.

Blueberry Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Sauce
3 eggs beaten
4 cups cream (or substitute part or all evaporated milk to lighten it)
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups blueberries (can use fresh or frozen)
1 package white baking chips
1 loaf french bread, cut into cubes

Ganache Sauce
1 package white baking chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Stir in the blueberries and one package of white baking chips.  Mix well.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes- longer if possible to let the bread soak up the liquid.  Stir occasionally while it soaks.  Spoon the mixture into a greased  or sprayed 9 x13 pan.  Bake at 350 until browned and center is no longer jiggly.  It will take about 50 to 60 minutes.  Take from oven and let stand while you make the sauce.

Sauce:  Put a package of white baking chips in a bowl.  Heat 1 cup of cream in a small saucepan.  When just barely boiling pour the hot cream over the baking chips.  Let stand a minute, then stir until chips are melted.  Served the warm sauce over the bread pudding.

Malva Pudding

This a South African dessert, so you'd think I would have acquired  it from my South African turned American son-in-law.  But no, he's never even heard of it.  I guess it's from the black culture in South Africa.  When Oprah went to open her girl's school in South Africa, she had her chef- Art Smith- research a comfort food dessert to serve to the girls at Christmas time.  He found this yummy dessert.   I watched the Oprah show where he made it, so I  had to look up and try the recipe. I've made it several times since. It is a moist, yummy pudding cake.

Malva Pudding
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon apricot jam
2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/3 cup milk

Sauce
3/4 cup fresh cream
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup hot water (put in a glass cup in the microwave for a minute)
1 teaspoon vanilla.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Beat or whip the sugar and eggs until thick and lemon-colored.  Add the jam. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, and salt.  Melt the butter and add the vinegar.  Add this mixture, as well as the milk to the egg mixture, alternately with the flour mixture.  Beat well.  Pour into a 12 x 12 pan and bake for about 20 minutes.  Take it out of the oven, poke some holes in the cake, and pour the sauce over all.  Return to the oven and bake another 25 minutes.

Sauce: After you put the pudding in the oven, make the sauce by putting all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and stirring and cooking until all is melted together.  Then, as stated above, poke holes in the cake and pour it over all and put it back in the oven to complete the baking.

Though shown here with ice cream, I like it best with a bit of whipped cream on top.

Rice Crem from Norway

This is Norway's delicious version of rice pudding.  I got the recipe from my sister Joan's recipe book(All four sisters in our family have published cook books.  I guess you could say we're foodies!)  She made it for our family Heritage dinner recently, where we made foods from the lands of our ancestors.  It was absolutely delicious: creamy and rich.  She served it with strawberry sauce(thinned strawberry jam) on top.  If you like rice pudding, you'll LOVE this one!

Rice Crem
In a large pot, mix together:
1 cup rice, rinsed
1 quart whole milk
1 cup sugar
Simmer on low for 4-5 hours.
When it's thick, add:
1Tablespoon vanilla
Cool.  When completely cool, add
1 cup whipping cream that has been whipped and sweetened.

Serve with raspberry or strawberry sauce.

Traditionally in Norway, a whole almond is hidden in the pudding.  The person who gets the almond will have good luck for the next year.

Easy Rice Pudding with Leftover Rice

I love rice pudding.  I had some leftover rice.  It seemed like my mother used to make rice pudding out of leftover rice,  so I went to allrecipes.com to see if I could find a recipe that started with leftover rice.  I found one.   It's probably not as good as when it's done the "real" way, but it was yummy and fast and satisfied my craving.  I really like it for breakfast, too.

2 cups cooked white rice
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
1/3- 1/2 cup sugar (to taste)
(Nuts, Raisins, other dried fruits as desired)

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Bring to a soft boil.  Reduce the heat to low/ simmer. Cover and cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until it's thick and creamy.  Add nuts, raisins, or other dried fruit as you serve it, as desired.