The fun-shaped, sunny-colored banana is a wonderful fruit in its own jacket. High in fiber, potassium and flavor, bananas make the “super food” list easily. Need a comforting, pick-me-up dish for the lingering cold days? An old-time banana pudding fits the bill!
Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding – from my cookbook, “From My Family Recipe Box
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2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
2 bananas, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
3/4 cups white sugar
1/3 cup self rising flour
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Meringue:
2 egg whites
1/4 cup white sugar
½ Tablespoon cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).
Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate with a layer of alternating vanilla wafers and banana slices.
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with flour. Mix well, then stir in half the milk. Beat egg yolks and whisk into sugar mixture. Add remaining milk and butter or margarine.
Place mixture over low heat and cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour half of pudding over vanilla wafer and banana layer while still hot.
Make another layer of alternating vanilla wafers and banana slices on top of pudding layer. Pour remaining pudding over second wafer and banana layer.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, continuing to beat until whites are stiff. Spread meringue into pie pan, making sure to completely cover pudding layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, just until meringue is browned. Chill 1-2 hours before serving.
After reading these interesting facts about bananas, I am sure you will make this wonderful fruit an integral part of your daily diet to maintain health and wellness.
Fun Banana Facts from the USDA:
- Bananas actually grow on a bush, not a tree.
- Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. They are actually giant herbs of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms.
- There are more than 500 varieties of bananas in the world!
- Daily consumption of bananas reduces the risk of macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly.
- Because of their high iron content, bananas help increase the hemoglobin content in the blood and relieve anemia.
- Bananas provide a natural antacid effect. They help to get rid of the symptoms of heartburn and provide a soothing effect.
Here’s another great way to enjoy your bananas: slather some Lehman’s Peanut Butter Spread on your favorite kind of toast (we like homemade whole grain). Slice bananas thickly on top and enjoy as a hearty breakfast or snack.
