kayaking on Loch Leven near Glencoe, Scotland, 2018

kayaking on Loch Leven near Glencoe, Scotland, 2018

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Banana Pudding

A friend of mine from Pittsburgh recently blogged about looking for a recipe for banana pudding. She had briefly lived in Kentucky, and surely this is the only way she knew of it. Pittsburghers don't do banana pudding. At least not that I'm aware of. I had never even heard of it, let alone eaten it, prior to moving to Louisiana.

Banana pudding is HUGE down here. No respectable pot luck, picnic, or party lacks a big bowl of banana pudding on the dessert table. We discovered this dixie dessert staple soon after moving. We went out to eat at a nearby restaurant, the Cadillac Ranch. Andrew, who loves bananas, saw banana pudding on the menu and had to try it. I expected "pudding," you know, the kind that restaurants slop out of giant cans or you can make from at box a home. But no, we discovered banana pudding is a bit more interesting in the south. What a treat! And it's so easy to make.

Sadly for Eric, he doesn't like bananas. Not at all. He's feeling somewhat better today. Our biggest concern the past several days has been his high blood pressure, as high as 150/110, and consistently in the 140s/90s. We've spoken to the doctor, and she's not sure why it's so high.

A friend of mine gave me this recipe.

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

4-5 bananas
2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding
1 cup sour cream
1 container Cool Whip
lemon juice
1 box vanilla wafers

Thinly slice bananas into a bowl and lightly sprinkle with a little lemon juice.

In another bowl, mix pudding as directed on box.

Add 1 cup each of sour cream and Cool Whip to the pudding.

Break 3/4 box of vanilla wafers in half.

Layer ingredients into pudding dish in this order:

broken vanilla wafers
bananas
pudding mixture
remaining Cool Whip

Arrrange remaining vanilla wafers on top.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Being from KY, I grew up on banana pudding. My mom's was the best. She had a special brown crock bowl that she made it in because she put meringue on hers and browned it in the oven. Isn't it nice to live different places and learn what the 'locals' eat. Hope the blood pressure gets under control fast.

bev

Anonymous said...

Angie, Back in the days when the Umbel family got together often, my Aunt Milly always brought banana pudding. Of course in those days, "Cool Whip" was not invented yet and neither was "instant" pudding. That was truly the best. i best she still makes it, even in her 90's.
Love to you all, don't like that blood pressure. ... m

Anonymous said...

P.S. from ... m
i guess Maryland is south of the Masion Dixen Line. Maybe that IS why it was so good.

Lisa said...

I definitely remember banana pudding with vanilla wafers from the family reunions and other family gatherings. I bet Alex and Emmett would love it!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Angie...Being from Pittsburgh I grew up knowing nothing about banana pudding. I married a southerner and the first thing his mom taught me was how to make banana pudding. I'm surprised you got a recipe as all the southern ladies I learned from did not follow a recipe - you just had to keep watching them and then try it on your own!! I hope you can get Erics blood pressure under control soon - those numbers are a little scary!