Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) is the day on which the goal is to indulge in as much rich, unhealthy food as possible before the 40 days of Lent. Some of the most famous celebrations are in Louisiana, and? Bananas Foster is an iconic Louisiana dessert. The flambéing of the bananas in the rum is very impressive, and the brown sugar, rum, and vanilla combine in a sticky, gooey, yummy mess. Igniting fruit can be a daunting task, so I decided to make mine in a pie.
My pie is banana pudding meets bananas foster, and it tastes SO good! It has a vanilla wafer crust that you can make yourself or buy, vanilla pudding, caramel-coated bananas with a touch of rum if you want to add some, more vanilla wafers, and whipped cream. The pudding and bananas melt together, and the vanilla wafers absorb some of the liquid to become cakey and soft. Of course, nothing beats homemade whipped cream, so I pile on as much as I can! As for the rum, it is a key flavor in bananas foster, but you can omit it if you want to. To make a complete Mardi Gras meal, be sure check out our main dish recipe for Jambalaya.
Bananas Foster Pudding Pie, serves 8, adapted from Ann Thornton
1 Vanilla Wafer Pie Crust 3 Brown Bananas, Sliced 1 3/4 Cups Cream 3 T Butter 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Rum, Optional 2 T Powdered Sugar 3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar 3/4 Cup Sugar 1/3 Cup Flour 2 Eggs 4 Egg Yolks 2 Cups Milk 25 Vanilla Wafers
Combine the dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup cream, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until sugar dissolves. Boil until thick enough to coat a spoon, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Add rum to taste, if desired.
Combine the sugar and the flour until lump-free. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks. Continue whisking until it forms a smooth paste. Slowly whisk in a cup of milk, then whisk in another when combined. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches the thickness of chilled pudding, about 10-15 minutes. The mixture will just begin to bubble and will hold soft peaks. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
Slice the bananas and fold gently into the caramel. Arrange half of the slices on the crust and top with half of the pudding. Repeat, then spread the vanilla wafers on top.
Whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Add the remaining vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread over the pie, and serve.
Check out Kayla’s blog for more ideas! Just click here!