I picked up a copy of Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything a few weeks back when I was grabbing a few things at Costco. I haven’t used it very much yet, but I did go digging through it for a Vanilla Pudding recipe when I decided to make a Banana pudding to use up the bananas from this week’s FFTY box. Mr. Man had requested banana pudding, and I can’t say I’m sorry with his choice. This vanilla pudding is sublime, and coupled with the Vanilla Wafers I made and some sliced Bananas, completely decadent. You might not think that Banana Pudding, that cafeteria-style dessert from childhood, could be so elegant – but you haven’t tasted this Vanilla pudding yet.

I used Mark Bittman’s Vanilla Pudding recipe as a jumping off point – although I pretty much ignored the cornstarch version and jumped straight to the egg’d version, and tinkered with the preparation steps. Miss Thing of course, didn’t like it – but given that she hardly likes anything anymore, thats not really that surprising. But honestly, just go grab a whisk and make this pudding – because Miss Thing is crazy, and this pudding is to die for.

Bittman initially called for simply whisking the (assembled) pudding in a saucepan directly over the heat – but I find that whenever working with any type of custard type dealio it’s generally much-much-muchly safer to use a double boiler, so that was probably the biggest change to the recipe. Basically, I took his ingredients and put them together in a way that made more sense to me. Bittman has some great ideas and information, don’t get me wrong – but no one wants to toss out a pan full of vanilla scrambled eggs, which is always what I’m afraid of if I don’t use a double boiler.

I don’t actually have a double boiler – but I am fortunate enough to have a stainless steel mixing bowl that just perfectly fits over a saucepan – which I recommend that everyone have in their kitchen. It’s far more multi-task-ish than an going out and buying a double boiler, especially if – like me, you don’t use a double boiler a lot. So if you have a saucepan and a heat-safe mixing bowl, (glass or metal) you too, can have a double boiler! (Isn’t it cool getting a new kitchen gadget that you didn’t have to buy?)

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 2 eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 and 1/4 cups Milk
• 2/3 cups Sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 tbs Butter
• Pinch or two of Kosher Salt

Method:

• Split and Scrape the Vanilla Bean in to a sauce pan with the Heavy Cream and Milk
• Gently heat (do not boil!)
• In a heat safe bowl that will fit over a saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and kosher salt until mixture ribbons when whisk is lifted
• In the saucepan that your heat safe bowl will fit over, bring an inch or two of water to a boil
• Fish out the vanilla bean from the cream and discard (or make Vanilla Sugar!)
• Slowly temper 1/3 of the cream mixture into the egg mixture, by whisking in a tablespoon or so of the cream mixture in to the eggs at a time (don’t be afraid to go slow with this step – if you don’t – you’ll also be enjoying vanilla-scrambled eggs.)
• Once you have 1/3 of the cream mixture incorporated, you can start adding the cream mixture more quickly, but still be careful not to overheat the eggs
• When all the cream mixture is combined, set the bowl over the saucepan of boiling water
• Whisk constantly, until mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon
• Remove from heat
• Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then cover by pressing a piece of plastic wrap down in to the top of the pudding (this will prevent a skin from forming on the top of your pudding) and chill
• If desired, pour over layered banana slices and Vanilla Wafers and chill for several hours to make Banana Pudding