Banana Pudding

A few years ago we took a trip to Nashville and tried Banana Pudding for the first time.  It's an iconic Southern dessert that's simple to make and very comforting!

Recently for Matt's birthday dinner his wish was to have an old school glazed ham with pineapple and cherries. I served it with scalloped potatoes and black-eyed peas, and banana pudding for dessert. 

It was a great meal.  The banana pudding should be made in advance, so it's a great dessert for a dinner party.  The wafers soften in the custard and make a lovely-textured treat.  You can assemble it the day before for the best texture. 

I used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen as inspiration, but I didn't make my own vanilla wafers, I used store-bought Nilla Wafers. 

Making the custard is the most challenging part, but it's pretty simple.

Definitely try this simple, fun dessert! 

Here's how to make it:

Ingredients

6  egg yolks

3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup cornstarch1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 1⁄2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon

4 ripe bananas

1⁄2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon

Equipment:  8 6-oz ramekins or jelly jars for serving

Instructions

To make the custard, place the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium pot. Whisk them together, then whisk in the milk in a slow stream until combined.  Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer while stirring.  I like to use a rubber spatula for this.  Keep stirring as it simmers for about 5 minutes until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Once thick, remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla and bourbon. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and chill for 4 hours or overnight.  

To assemble, place wafers in a layer in the bottom of each ramekin.  You can also make this in one big dish if you don't have individual serving dishes.  You may need to break some cookies to make a full layer, that's ok! 

On top of the wafers, dollop a layer of custard, then a layer of sliced bananas.  Repeat with a layer of wafers, custard and bananas until all the bananas and custard are used up.  Cover the dishes and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but even better overnight.  

When ready to serve, whip cream with sugar and bourbon until soft peaks form.  Dollop whipped cream on top of puddings and place a Nilla wafer on top.  

Creamy, rich and not too sweet. This is a perfect dessert! Enjoy. 

Bourbon Vanilla Marshmallows

 

My husband loves homemade marshmallows.  He has a nut allergy, so he's usually pretty wary of holiday cookies, but our dear friend made marshmallows one year and he loved them so much!  I had to try making them too. 

Marshmallows are not difficult to make, but they require some things you may not normally use in your holiday baking.  A candy thermometer is one.  A stand mixer also makes things much easier. You'll also need corn syrup and gelatin, which not everyone has on hand. But the ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find.  Once you have them you can make marshmallows in any flavour you desire. 

I made bourbon vanilla marshmallows, but the bourbon flavour doesn't really come through.  I would try using more bourbon next time. 

It is so neat to watch the clear liquid transform into white ribbons as you mix the marshmallows. 

Marshmallows keep really well at room temperature for up to 6 weeks.  They're great in hot chocolate or on a cookie tray (and gluten free too!), or you can give them as gifts. 

Adapted from this Epicurious recipe

Ingredients
2 vanilla beans
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
vegetable oil or cooking spray
3 packets (7 grams each) unflavoured gelatin
1.5 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife. Place 1/3 of the vanilla bean seeds in a small bowl with the bourbon.  Place the rest of the seeds in a medium bowl with the powdered sugar.  Mix well, crushing the vanilla seeds with the back of a spoon to incorporate.  Let sit one hour.

Brush or spray a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil.  Sprinkle with vanilla sugar and tap out the excess that doesn't stick to the sides. 

Place 1/2 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the gelatin and stir to combine.  

Combine 1/2 cup of water, granulated sugar and corn syrup in a small pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the empty vanilla bean pods to the sugar syrup and place the thermometer in the pot, not touching the bottom.  Boil until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F (this took about 7 minutes for me).  Remove from heat and use tongs to remove the vanilla beans. 

Use the mixer's whisk attachment and whisk the gelatin mixture at low speed.  Carefully pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the mixer bowl with the mixer running. Increase the mixer speed to high and whisk for about 5 minutes until the mixture is very thick and looks like ribbons when you raise the whisk attachment. Add the bourbon and vanilla seed mixture and whisk until incorporated. 

Using a rubber spatula, pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan.  Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature, at least 4 hours or overnight, until marshmallow is dry.

When you're ready to cut the marshmallows, cover a cutting board with vanilla powdered sugar and invert the pan onto the cutting board. Use a spatula to pull the marshmallow away from the sides if you need to.  Dust the top with vanilla powdered sugar.

Cut the marshmallows into 36 squares (or 64 smaller squares). Place each individual marshmallow in a bowl of vanilla powdered sugar and shake to cover.  

Store in a covered container separated by parchment paper.  

Tart of the Month - Bourbon Peach Icebox Cake

This is only very tangentially a tart.  Icebox cake has a "crust" in the form of cookies and a "filling" in the form of whipped cream and fruit, so I'm calling it my tart of the month so I don't have to turn on the oven!

Icebox cake is actually really easy to make.  A magic process takes place when you layer cookies with whipped cream. They take on a cake-like consistency as they moisten and become almost like solid cake when sliced. 

Road Trip: Trader Joe's

A couple of weeks ago, a generous friend invited me to a show at Caesars Windsor, near Detroit.  We decided to take the day off work and make a day of it. Instead of shopping for clothes, we went decided to go to Trader Joe's, since we don't have access to it in Canada.

This isn't a sponsored post or anything, I was just very excited to visit Trader Joe's in Grosse Pointe, Michigan and check out all the exciting products they have. Trader Joe's is famous for their store brand products.  They have a particularly great selection of nuts, grains and dried fruit at great prices.  They also have some awesome cookies and snacks.

I love dark chocolate almonds as a snack. Both of these versions are very delicious. Coconut, chocolate and almonds is a wonderful combination.

Holiday Round-Up

It's getting to be a busy time of year with everyone rushing about preparing for the holidays.  We're all looking for short cuts to make the season easier, including me!  So here's a round-up of holiday posts that might make life a little easier for you.

First, a couple of simple meals to have in your back pocket for those busy nights where there's just not enough time.

Cacio e Pepe (Cheese & Pepper Pasta)

Unbelievably simple and delicious. You can use spaghetti, linguine or bucatini.  Keep Romano cheese and white pepper on hand and this is a pantry meal for any time.  

Lazy Cabbage Rolls

These take a little more time to make, but you can make several batches to freeze and bake any time for a quick meal.  Seasonal and flavourful, this is great to have on hand for cold winter nights.  

Now, if you're hosting a party or are a guest who needs to bring something, here are some appetizer ideas.

Shrimp Cocktail 

It's so much nicer when you make it yourself.

Little Hasselback Potatoes

This potato technique makes an amazing side dish, but it would also be great as an appetizer with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.

Gougeres (Cheese Puffs)

Surprisingly simple but incredibly impressive.  These are great as an appetizer, or in place of rolls on a buffet table.  They freeze well too.

Butternut Squash Tart

Puff pastry tarts are a quick and easy meal and can be cut into smaller pieces for a fancy appetizer.  This one is easy and delicious.

With all these appetizers, you'll need some cocktails!

Mulled Wine

This festive treat became a favourite last holiday season.  

Craft Beer

Or how about a beer? Scroll through the Beer Baron's posts for ideas to serve at your party or bring as a gift for your hosts.  

If you have time to do a little baking...

Ginger Crackles

Festive and seasonal, I make these every year and love them.

Saltine Toffee (aka Christmas Crack)

This is another annual tradition that never fails to impress, even with the humblest ingredients.  

Now for the main event...

Spatchcocked Turkey

If you're serving turkey to a crowd, there's no quicker way to cook a crispy, juicy whole bird than to spatchcock it.  This post is old, but the technique is timeless.

Jerk Roasted Turkey Breast

If you're serving a smaller group, this Jerk-spiced turkey breast is perfect, unusual and warming.

And finally, I always like to serve seafood as a special treat on New Years Eve.  

Lobster Bisque

This soup makes a wonderful first course for a fancy dinner, or even a meal on New Years Eve along with a bunch of appetizers.  

Lobster Pot Pie or Lobster Mac & Cheese

You can make these yourself, but why not treat yourself and order some delivered to your door to have a special treat without the effort.  You deserve it!  

Nairn's Oat Crackers & Cookies

When I was a teenager I worked at a cheese store at our local market.  The best part was getting to try all sorts of cheeses and crackers.  We sold Scottish oatcakes which were sweet, thick crackers that went great with cheese and jam.  

Nairn's was kind enough to send me some samples of their oat crackers and cookies.  They are wheat-free and high in fibre.  Both the crackers and cookies come wrapped in individual six-packs, which is a great way to keep them fresh.  

The traditional Scottish oat crackers came in organic, roughly milled and cheese flavours.  They are quite thick and hearty.  I like them best with a sweeter topping like creamy goat's cheese and fig jam.

Cookies! Oatmeal Chocolate Chip with Figs and Coconut

Although I love to bake, I'm not the worlds biggest fan of eating baked goods.  I can live without most cookies and sweets.  Except oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, which I could eat all day, every day.  I made some delicious ones recently from a Martha Stewart recipe, which I will use again.  They stay moist even the next day, which is ideal in an oatmeal cookie.  

These cookies are from Food52 and they add dried figs and coconut to the mix.  The extra ingredients make the cookies even more moist and chewy, adding a nice texture and making them a little more healthy, perhaps?  

Here's what you need:

Cookies! Ginger Crackles

It's about that time of year.  Time for baking.  

I've made these cookies almost every year for a while now and they're very easy and delicious.

The recipe came from Chatelaine magazine.  It makes a soft and spicy ginger cookie that freezes well.

Here's what you need:

Saltine Toffee aka Christmas Crack

A good trashy recipe means many things.  It often includes unlikely, cheap and/or processed ingredients, it's generally easy to make, and it usually becomes much more than the sum of its parts.  This recipe is all those things. It has only four simple ingredients and takes only about 10 minutes of cooking time plus resting and cooling. And it is amazing!  You've got to make it.  It'll become your holiday tradition forever!

All you need is:

40 saltine crackers (one sleeve)
1 cup butter (2 sticks/ 1/2 lb)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips

Plus (optional) pecans, white chocolate chips, or anything else you'd care to sprinkle on top.  

I used whole wheat soda crackers because they were out of regular ones at the store, but normal saltines with salted tops are best in this.  I used dark chocolate chips but semi-sweet or milk chocolate ones are good too.  

First preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prep your pan.  You can do this on a non-stick cookie sheet but mine isn't as non-stick as it used to be so I used a couple of layers of foil to keep it from sticking.

First cover in normal foil making sure it hangs over all sides.

Then I used my favourite trick, non-stick foil over top.  If you don't have the non-stick foil you can just use another layer of foil lightly sprayed with cooking spray. You just want to make sure there's no place for the liquid caramel to escape under the foil.

Now lay out your saltine cracker evenly on the cookie sheet.  I used 40 for this pan.  You can use a larger pan if you have one. Just make sure the crackers are flat and even.  If there are a few broken ones, no worries, just piece them together as best you can so there's no space between them.

Now take your cup of butter.  You know butter packages have measurements on them, right?

Add 3/4 cup brown sugar to the butter in a small pot.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  

Pour the hot caramel over the crackers in the pan.

Spread it evenly to cover all the crackers, right to the edge.  Then pop it in the oven for 5 minutes.

The caramel will bubble and melt into the crackers.  Carefully remove it from the oven, keeping the pan level.

Let it sit for 3 minutes to cool slightly.  The crackers will sort of float to the surface.

If the crackers are uneven, use a butter knife to lay them flat so none are overlapping.

Now pour the bag of chocolate chips evenly over top.  Let them melt for about 5 minutes.

Once the chocolate chips are softened, spread them with an offset spatula (or regular spatula).

Keep spreading...

...until you have an even layer of chocolate over the caramel crackers. 

Now you can add some toppings if you want.  Pecans are good, or other nuts.  I added some white chocolate chips just for contrast.  A sprinkle of sea salt is a classy topping too.  

Now, put it in the fridge or a cool place for about 20 minutes to firm up.  I put mine outside on a cold day which is easier than finding room in the fridge.

Once firm, break it up into small-ish pieces.

Keep breaking it up.  Don't eat it all while you're doing this - very important.

Now package it up in an airtight container and store it in the fridge.  It also freezes beautifully.  I like to serve it cold but it will be ok at room temperature. The chocolate just gets a little softer.  

This is so simple to make for such great results, you've got to try it.  People go nuts for it. 

Thanks Leila for introducing me to this!