B-a-n-a-n-a Pudding Recipe

Prepare Bread

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 2-quart (about 2 L) baking dish or six 8-oz ramekins with butter. Toss the 1-inch bread cubes with 2 tbs melted butter to lightly coat; spread on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until slightly golden but not fully crisp.

Make Custard and Assemble

In a medium saucepan, combine milk (500 ml), heavy cream (250 ml), and 2 tsp vanilla. Warm over medium heat until just below simmering (do not boil). In a large bowl whisk eggs (3), 120 g sugar and 1 tsp salt until combined. Slowly temper the warm milk mixture into the eggs while whisking. Fold in mashed ripe bananas (3). Place toasted bread cubes into the prepared baking dish/ramekins and pour the custard-banana mixture over the bread, pressing gently so bread soaks up the custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight to allow full soaking.

Bake

Remove plastic wrap. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 35–45 minutes (20–25 minutes for individual ramekins) until the custard is set around the edges and a skewer in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Let cool slightly while you finish other components.

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a bowl whisk together 180 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream 115 g softened butter with 100 g sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes). Mix in 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp vanilla until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms; add up to 1 tbs milk only if dough is too dry. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or use a teaspoon to drop small 1-inch rounds onto the sheet, spaced 1.5 inches apart. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. These will be crisp and used for texture in the dessert.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 200 g sugar and 60 ml water over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally (do not stir) until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color (about 8–10 minutes). Remove from heat and carefully whisk in 60 g butter until incorporated (mixture will bubble). Slowly whisk in 120 ml warm heavy cream until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp sea salt. If any large sugar crystals form on the side of the pan, brush them down with a damp pastry brush while cooking. Let cool to warm; sauce will thicken as it cools.

Make Pastry Cream

In a saucepan, heat 500 ml milk with the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp extract) until just simmering. In a bowl whisk 4 egg yolks with 100 g sugar until pale, then whisk in 40 g cornstarch until smooth. Temper the hot milk into the egg mixture slowly while whisking. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and comes to a boil; cook 1 minute more to remove the starchy taste. Remove from heat and whisk in 30 g butter until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin forming, and chill until cold (at least 2 hours).

Whip Cream & Fold

Chill a mixing bowl and beaters. Whip 240 ml chilled heavy cream with 20 g powdered sugar to soft peaks. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream gently until homogeneous. Keep chilled until assembly.

Portion: For 6 servings divide baked banana bread pudding into six portions. Spoon or pipe a generous layer (about 2–3 tbs) of diplomat crème atop each warm or room-temperature pudding.

Garnish: Drizzle 1–2 tbs salted caramel sauce over the diplomat crème on each portion. Crumble or place 2–3 house vanilla wafers per serving for crunchy texture. Top with a few thin banana slices and finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (about 1/4 tsp per serving).

Serve: Serve immediately while caramel is slightly warm and wafers are crisp. Leftovers: store components separately — pudding covered in refrigerator 3 days, caramel refrigerated up to 2 weeks (reheat gently), diplomat crème refrigerated 2 days; wafers keep in an airtight container up to 4 days.