Bourbon Banana Pudding

 

One of my favorite restaurants from Greenville, NC is undoubtedly Dickinson Avenue Public House (DAP House).  It is a REQUIREMENT to end each meal with their bourbon banana pudding.  I literally do not care how full I am or how much I may regret it, I will eat an entire banana pudding (there is never regrets).  I miss it so much that I went on an internet quest to find a recipe that sounded like what I may taste in that DAP House pudding.  I looked for a long time.  A very long time.  Turns out there is one blog post that talks about putting bourbon in the banana pudding.  When I found it, I thought I struck gold!

Funny story, my first attempt at this was a complete wash.  I have never made pudding before, much less from scratch.  The only background "knowledge" I had was Jell-O brand pudding.  I've made Jell-O before and that stuff is colored water.  When you put it in the fridge, hours later, it becomes a jiggly solid.  Pudding MUST be the same right?!  Wrong.  So wrong.  When the recipe said to continue until it thickens, I overlooked that, kept stirring for a few minutes and it remained like coffee creamer consistency, so I thought "hmm... it must solidify in the fridge like Jell-O magic."  Again, I was wrong.  KEEP stirring and eventually the pudding thickens up to a "pudding" consistency.  Don't make my mistake...keep stirring.

Bourbon Banana Pudding (From Lizeeangel.com)

2 ½ Cups Milk

½ Cup Heavy Cream

¾ Cup Toasted Sugar

¼ Cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Nutmeg

½ tsp Salt

4 Large Egg Yolks

1/3 Cup Cornstarch

2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

3 Tablespoons Bourbon (I used Elijah Craig)

2 Tablespoons Butter

8oz Frozen Whipped Topping

½ Box Vanilla Wafers or Shortbread Cookies

6 Graham Crackers

4 Bananas Sliced

1.       1. In a heavy sauce pan, combine the sugars, milk, nutmeg, and salt over medium heat.  Stir to help the sugar dissolve as it cooks.

2.       2. While that is heating, whisk together the heavy cream, cornstarch, and egg yolks until smooth

3.       3. When the milk begins to bubble, combine with the egg mixture by ladling in hot liquid into the eggs while whisking constantly.  You will add about 3 ladles in total ensuring it is all well combined

4.       4. Whisk the egg mixture into the hot milk mixture and reduce the temperature to medium low.  Continue whisking until the mixture begins to thicken (about 5 minutes) (Keep Stirring!)

5.       5. Add in the vanilla and bourbon and continue to cook for another minute or so, whisking the entire time.

6.       6. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until it is completely melted.

7.       7. Transfer to a large bowl and press with plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming on the pudding.

8.       8.Refrigerate to set (4 hours up to overnight)

Assembly of the Banana Pudding

1.    Gently fold the whipped topping into the pudding until smooth.
2.    On the bottom of the dish (I used individual mason jars), place a graham cracker layer.
3.     Layer on 1/3 of the pudding using the back of the spoon to spread it out.
4.   Layer on 1/3 of the sliced bananas
5.    Layer on a new base of vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies
6.   Repeat, adding a layer of pudding last to cover the bananas
7.    Top with whipped cream.
8.  Chill for 1 hour to set everything together

Sous Chef came to help me with whisking the egg mixture.

This recipe pretty much nails the original and was worth the mistakes to have a little taste from my favorite restaurant!