# it's Banana Pudding time (again).



## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

I make this up every few months for "snacks" when I get the urge for something sweet.
this batch is for the two grandkids - a few months ago, I took them one each and - - - well, you know the story.
Nooooooo body turns down nanner puddin. WARNING: this could turn into an addiction.
This "batch" makes ten (10) one pound aluminum loaf pans - your methods may vary.


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

Gonna save this for 2023 New Year's lucky bread putting to friends - already sent this year's apple spice cake


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

oh son, this is NOT bread pudding - nowhere even close.


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

I probably didn't say that right - I didn't mean bread pudding, but more like banana bread mixed together with pudding, and oreos. It sounds really good.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

well, okay - all the best in your next project.


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## jim_bee (Feb 23, 2021)

That looks good. I never would never have thought about using the Oreos. Have you ever used Chessmen cookies instead of vanilla wafers?


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

no - this is my standard. I don't even know what chessmen cookies are.
but, you can try it and let us know how it is.


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## jim_bee (Feb 23, 2021)

They are butter cookies from Pepperidge Farms. I think Paula Dean has a banana pudding recipe that uses them, but a friend introduced me to banana pudding with Chessmen about 20 years ago. Not that I dislike vanilla wafers. I'm going to give your take a try.


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## miteigenenhaenden (Nov 30, 2021)

Thanks for the recipe! Sounds interesting.
I will recreate it one day, but without this pudding mixture and without additional color and without flavor. ;-)
These are all too many additives for me that I don't want to use.
For example, the color used in the pudding mix must be indicated in Europe with a warning on the packaging.

The recipe idea is great and sounds delicious!


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Great version. 

My Grandmother had a similar version, for the Church "pot-luck suppers".

Made in a Dishpan of all things. 

Lined the bottom with regular size nilla wafers, then a layer of round sliced RIPE bananas, then a layer of Jello Banana pudding, then another layer of nillas, bananas, and a few more nilas up the sides of the pan, more pudding, more nilla, banana layer, another 2 inch layer of pudding, repeat until the pan is near topped, and a final layer of nillas. 

The whole thing weighed over 25 pounds.

It never came home with much left over. 

I miss the days when I could eat things like that.

Just thinking about it my Blood glucose shoots up, and I gained 5 pounds. 

ED


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## miteigenenhaenden (Nov 30, 2021)

😄 Maybe you can prepare a small portion of it and eat it.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

de-nagorg said:


> Great version.
> 
> My Grandmother had a similar version, for the Church "pot-luck suppers".
> 
> ...


Ed - that is exactly the way my mother made it - even for a small bowl, it was time consuming.
plus - she never used the pudding "mix". it was always made from scratch on the stove.
but for now, for me, I'm not doing a "one bowl serving" - that's why it's all mixed up quickly and into the pans.
and, the strawberry shortcake was the same too - layers of thin cake slathered with sweetened berries.
I really, really miss my mother's cooking.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

John Smith_inFL said:


> Ed - that is exactly the way my mother made it - even for a small bowl, it was time consuming
> but for now, for me, I'm not doing a "one bowl serving" - that's why it's all mixed up quickly and into the pans.
> and, the strawberry shortcake was the same too - layers of thin cake slathered with sweetened berries.
> *I really, really miss my mother's cooking.*



I'm totally in agreement with that, Grandma too.

As long as we can do a reasonable imitation of their culinary delights, we honor them well.

The mixing in of the small nillas , do they get a chance to absorb the goodness of the pudding moisture, or do they stay semi-crisp?

Time is what we have the most of, in our retirement, so I don't mind using it to create those things that take it.

My biggest problem, is figuring out how to keep the extra from going bad, before I eat them.

After a few days of dishing a small portion, pudding seems to get runny, and messy.

Since November, I have been experimenting on mixing Pumpkin Pie filling with Cheesecake pudding.

I about have it perfected.

ED


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

My wife makes some really good banana pudding, her secret is she adds a container of cool whip to it.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

mark sr said:


> My wife makes some really good banana pudding, her secret is she adds a container of cool whip to it.


 Yum.

ED


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

Ed - my freezer is about minus 15*f so the pans of pudding freezes solid pretty quickly - not enough time for the flavors to intermingle. upon thawing out, the cookies do loose the crisp, but retains their own flavor (IMO).
as for the Cool Whip - I tried it a couple of times and honestly I can't tell the difference of with or without. the can of Sweetened Condensed Milk may off-set the flavor of Cool Whip.
all I know is I like it, the grandkids inhale it, the neighbors always want some, so IMO, if it ain't broke - why try to fix it.
ya'll can fix yours the way you wanna - it's your party.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Looooove nanner pudding, that does look good John.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

BigJim said:


> Looooove nanner pudding, that does look good John.



It does look great, I was not ridiculing his recipe, just stating that it was different, than what I grew up having. 

I would be buying a dozen or so reusable lidded containers to re-use, instead of spending money every time on those recyclable aluminum pans, but I'm cheap, and hate to spend my money on throwaway stuff.

ED


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

de-nagorg said:


> I would be buying a dozen or so reusable lidded containers to re-use, instead of spending money every time on those recyclable aluminum pans, but I'm cheap, and hate to spend my money on throwaway stuff.
> ED


LOL LOL - Ed - those aluminum pans are maybe 6 years old and have been used and REused dozens of times.
I wash them in the sink by hand - I don't have a dishwasher.
I do the same thing when making my Turkey Wing Dressing and freeze them the same way. (but, that is another recipe yet to be shared). I guess you can tell that I've refined my recipes down to where I can get 10 pans per batch.
*Turkey Wing Dressing* with Cornbread Crumbs (not bread). (Sorry - don't mean to drift off topic here) - I'll post it separately soon. Make a quick pan of Turkey Gravy from the bag and lunch is served.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Kudos, on being able to keep those Aluminum pans in good shape.

Most get bent and squashed by others.

I wash and ship them out to a recycle place, once a year.

Just to make room for the next group of crumpled ones.

Love Cornbread dressing, No apology needed for doing dressing right.

ED


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## miteigenenhaenden (Nov 30, 2021)

John Smith_inFL said:


> LOL LOL - Ed - those aluminum pans are maybe 6 years old and have been used and REused dozens of times.
> I wash them in the sink by hand - I don't have a dishwasher.
> I do the same thing when making my Turkey Wing Dressing and freeze them the same way. (but, that is another recipe yet to be shared). I guess you can tell that I've refined my recipes down to where I can get 10 pans per batch.
> *Turkey Wing Dressing* with Cornbread Crumbs (not bread). (Sorry - don't mean to drift off topic here) - I'll post it separately soon. Make a quick pan of Turkey Gravy from the bag and lunch is served.


I'm looking forward to your recipe!
This looks delicious.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

de-nagorg said:


> My biggest problem, is figuring out how to keep the extra from going bad, before I eat them.
> *After a few days of dishing a small portion, pudding seems to get runny, and messy.*
> ED


this is where the frozen portions come in. . . . the pudding may not be as "fresh" as the first bite, but definitely not runny.
experimenting with small portions was my first step - then, went to 3 boxes which require 10 cups of milk. the box calls for 3 cups of milk per box - which is not enough for 10 loaf pans, but made zero difference in the end.
my very first experiment was the layering method of cookies, banana, pudding. after 2 or 3 pans, that is when I said to heck with this, got out my big dishpan and mixed it all together. For hongry folks, it makes no difference.
Frozen solid and wrapped in food wrap, it will keep for 6 months (yeah, right, who in their right mind would pass up a nanner puddin snack).


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## miteigenenhaenden (Nov 30, 2021)

Starch, as it is in the pudding mix, releases the absorbed liquid again after freezing. This is why the banana pudding becomes softer after thawing.
Is normal. The taste will not change as a result and it will be correct: It makes no difference for hungry people. ;-)


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