Banana Pudding is one of those Southern staples that everyone agrees is delicious, but no one can seem to agree on the correct way to prepare. Some folks swear by the Jello brand banana-flavored box mix as their base for its very intense banana flavor, some think straying from the classic Nilla Wafer cookie is a sin, and others may choose Cool Whip or meringue for topping. I think the beauty of banana pudding is that no matter which way we each decide to prepare it, we’re all doing it correctly, because I don’t think I’ve ever truly come across a banana pudding that I didn’t like. However, if you’ve been reading my column, you probably know by now that I think the best way to make anything is completely from scratch and maybe with just a tiny bit of untraditional flair–in this case by substituting out the classic Nilla Wafer for Biscoff cookies and adding just a dash of cinnamon to really elevate my homemade vanilla pudding!

I received the perfect request to make this beloved dessert this week as it was my dear friend Austin’s birthday and banana pudding is his all-time favorite. I think people forget that you don’t have to have cake to celebrate your birthday–sticking a candle in the fluffy vanilla whipped cream of a homemade Biscoff banana pudding that sits beautifully in a very special dish is sometimes just as, if not more, showstopping than a perfectly iced cake! (Special shoutout to my friend, Randi, for letting me borrow her grandmother’s beautiful trifle dish for this occasion, it was the perfect vessel to make this birthday dessert feel extra special and made for a beautiful presentation!)

For my base recipe I used Tastes Better from Scratch’s vanilla pudding recipe (tastesbetterfromscratch.com). Tastes Better from Scratch is a food blog run by a team of women that specialize in providing approachable, delicious recipes that you can count on turning out perfectly pretty much every time! Their website holds a wealth of well-curated and heavily tested recipes that take the guess work out of scratch cooking! I lean on them anytime I want to make a very traditional or classic recipe because I know they will give me accurate base ingredient ratios each time that I can then adapt as needed. This time, I added fresh vanilla bean and cinnamon into my pudding to add a little extra flavor and aroma and to complement the flavor of the cinnamon Biscoff cookies!

Making pudding from scratch is by no means difficult, it just takes a little bit of patience. In fact, banana pudding itself is kind of a lesson in patience because even though you know how delicious it’s going to be you really need to wait at least eight hours while the pudding sets up in the refrigerator before you can dig in. This makes it an excellent dish to prepare in advance if you know you will be short on time right before the big event you are bringing it to, whether that be a potluck, holiday event or, in this case, a birthday dinner! It’s also very easy to scale this recipe up or down, depending on how many people you will be serving!

I’m usually a bit nervous when making an important dish for an event, second guessing whether people will like it or not, but this time I really had no reason to be humble – I can confidently say I make a mean banana pudding. It was so fun to fulfill a birthday dessert request that I didn’t have to overthink or stress over and just knew it would turn out absolutely divine! I hope you all feel inspired to make whatever version of banana pudding you like best, or maybe even give this fun variation a try for your next gathering!

And Happy Birthday to my dear friend Austin – here’s to many more years of making your birthday banana pudding dreams come true!

BISCOFF BANANA PUDDING

(Makes about 12-15 servings)

Ingredients:
5 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs, at room temperature
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1stick butter
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole vanilla bean pod (cut open and scrape the vanilla beans out of the pod)
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Two 8.8 oz packages of Biscoff cookies (reserve a few for crumbling on top)
7 large bananas, sliced (use ripe, but not overly ripe bananas)
Whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions:
■ Add milk and cream to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring often.
■ In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch until well blended.
■ Spoon a little of the hot milk over the egg mixtures and whisk well. Repeat with another few spoonfuls of the hot milk, to temper the eggs (bring their temperature up without “scrambling” them).
■ Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and continue to cook over medium low heat (don’t let it boil) for 5-8 minutes until thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
■ Once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla extract, vanilla beans, cinnamon and salt.
■ Pour the pudding through a sieve or fine mesh strainer into a container, to remove any lumps and make it silky smooth.
■ To assemble the banana pudding use a large bowl, trifle dish or individual dishes.
■ Line the bottom of the dish with Biscoff cookies. Top with sliced bananas, then enough of the warm pudding mixture to cover the bananas. Repeat until you have used all of the pudding mixture or have filled your serving dish (usually 3-4 layers.)
■ Cover with plastic wrap, making sure to lightly press the plastic over the top layer of pudding so that it doesn’t form a film in the fridge. Leave in the refrigerator to set for at least 8 hours.
■ Before serving, make homemade whipped cream for topping. Add the very cold heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixture and begin whipping at high speed. Slowly add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar until peaks begin to form.
■ Dollop the whipped cream onto the top of the pudding and then finish by sprinkling a few crushed Biscoff cookies over the top, serve immediately and enjoy!

Kristin is a Columbus local and a graduate of MUW’s Culinary Arts Program. She lives downtown with her husband, Jon, her naughty cat Sokka and her retired sled dog, Megan. In her free time she enjoys baking, making stained glass art and hanging out with her friends. If you see her in town, say hi!