"Angela's Easy Southern Breeze Banana Pudding"

It is a great thrill to be a newlywed homemaker. I take heart in the many treasured cookbooks my Grandma Cleva collected through the years that she gave to me for my own kitchen. Some recipes can quickly become overwhelming with so many steps. I have found one such recipe to be banana pudding. certain recipes can quickly become an overwhelming thoughtThe traditional recipes I have seen almost require jumping through hoops with all kinds of contraptions to come out with a bowl of pudding. My recipe I have found to be a much easier way to prepare this pudding and at the same time, made a few healthier ingredient substitutions and of course, this young lady has put a Southern spin on my recipe.

Angela’s Healthy Cooking Tip: By substituting traditional banana pudding recipe ingredients of whole milk, 4 egg yolks and twice as much heavy cream with the ingredients in this recipe, you can save in each serving, nearly 250 calories, 20 grams of fat and 100 milligrams of cholesterol. Here’s to healthy choices!

“Angela’s Easy Southern Breeze Banana Pudding”

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 pinch salt

3 cups low-fat milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon banana extract

40 reduced-fat vanilla wafers (half of one 11oz. box)

2 medium ripe bananas, chopped

Topping: 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

Garnish: ¼ cup chopped walnuts

1 banana, chopped

In 4-quart saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar with cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk; heat to boiling on medium, stirring frequently. Gradually add eggs, beating vigorously. Cook 1 minute, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in banana extract. In 2-quart casserole or serving dish, place 20 vanilla wafers. Pour 1 1/4 cups pudding over wafers, covering wafers completely. Top with one chopped bananas. Repeat layering once. Top with remaining pudding, making sure to completely cover chopped banana layer. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Before serving, prepare whipped cream topping in medium bowl by adding cream and 1 tablespoon sugar. Beat with mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pudding. Garnish, if desired, with chopped walnuts and chopped banana. Enjoy!

Congratulations to the 4 winners of my wedding countdown follower giveaway: Kestrel, Heather, Nancy and Kara!