Caramelized Banana Pudding

A simple take on a classic banana pudding....you'll be bringing this one to the next barbeque!

Caramelized Banana Pudding

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6-7 ripe medium bananas, sliced crosswise
• 1 box vanilla wafers
• salt
• 1 cup cream
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Makes 8 servings
Cook time: 10 minutes, plus chilling

Heat 2 cups of the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until steaming.
Whisk 1 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and the milk. 
Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until smooth, and then gradually whisk the egg-milk mixture into the milk in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, 4-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Set in refrigerator to cool while bruleeing bananas.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar on top of sliced bananas.  Using a kitchen torch, brulee the sugar on the bananas.  You are looking for a hard sugar surface, like with creme brulee.  Once the bananas go into the pudding, the bruleed sugar will soften into a soft caramel. 

Put a third of the pudding in the bottom of one of your baking dishes; top with vanilla wafers in an even layer and then half the banana slices.  Top the bananas with half the remaining pudding, all the remaining banana slices, and another even layer of vanilla wafers.  Top vanilla wafers with the last 1/3 of the pudding, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.  

About an hour before you are ready to serve, whip cream with powdered sugar and evenly spread on top.  You may also want to brulee a few banana slices for garnish.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.