Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

I don't know a single Southerner who hasn't grown up eating banana pudding. As iconic as pecan pies, biscuits and gravy, and barbecue will always be to the South, banana pudding will always have its place at the table.

This take on the classic is beautiful and quite different. With Mother's Day just around the corner, you still have time to experiment with dessert before Mom's big day.

One tip I've learned about making frozen desserts: make frozen cake in a springform pan and be sure to line it with cling wrap for easier plating. This one is a showstopper! Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 T. sugar

1 1⁄2 T. all-purpose flour

1⁄8 t. kosher salt

1 cup whole milk, divided

2 large egg yolks

2 t. unsalted butter

1⁄2 t. vanilla extract

1 cup thawed frozen whipped topping

36 vanilla wafers

2 1⁄2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

2 medium bananas, sliced

12 jumbo marshmallows

Instructions:

Fill a large bowl with ice. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in 1⁄4 cup milk and egg yolks. In a small saucepan, place remaining 3⁄4 cup milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Whisk 1⁄4 cup hot milk into egg mixture. Whisk egg mixture into remaining hot milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute more.

Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla, stirring until butter melts. Place pan in prepared bowl of ice.

Let cool completely, stirring frequently. Whisk in whipped topping.

Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap, allowing edges to extend over sides.

Line bottom of pan with about half of wafers. Spread softened ice cream over wafers. Insert remaining wafers around sides of pan into ice cream. Arrange banana slices over ice cream. Pour pudding mixture over bananas. Cover and freeze until firm, about 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature until loaf can be removed from pan, about 10 minutes.

Place oven rack in middle of oven, and preheat to broil. Place loaf on a rimmed baking sheet; top with marshmallows. Broil until marshmallows are lightly toasted, about 1 minute, turning pan halfway through baking time. Using a spatula, transfer loaf to a serving platter, if desired. Cut with a serrated knife dipped in hot water.