happy birthday dad!

Happy Birthday to my dad - Love you!

To celebrate we are having a delicious family dinner tonight and I made a special dessert - Banana Pudding. While we were in NY, the banana "bread" pudding was a favorite from Magnolia Bakery. For K's birthday I found the recipe and tried it out and I have to admit, it is pretty good if I don't say so myself.

It's very easy - try it out for yourself:

Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk1 1/2 cups ice cold water1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)3 cups heavy cream1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)4 cups sliced ripe bananas [Use the kitchen measurement convertor -- LR]In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.


It's delicious and a great option for someone who doesn't love chocolate desserts.


This time I made individual cups for everyone rather than a large bowl, which I'm hoping will make it more authentic - just like at Magnolia.


Happy Birthday Dad!


xoxo.