The one dessert I recall my mother making quite often when I was a child was banana pudding.
I could even point out the bowl she always made it in.
Her mother was also quite the banana pudding maker.
While Nanny could make an awesome Banana Pudding, her mother wasn't exactly the best of the best. I've heard my mother and Nanny joke for ages about how they didn't understand how Granny Rose could make a watery banana pudding.
The woman was not a good cook at all from what I hear. My memories of her are mostly of her in my hometown and at the fishing camp, only once do I remember being at her house while she was alive.
That one time though, I very much remember a banana pudding.
Granny Rose was quite the character though, she preferred the men in the family and babied them to death, and was known to tell her awfully pregnant granddaughters that she would never be a great-grandmother.
She didn't season food worth a darn, and Nanny jokingly claims that the constant dinners of beans and cornbread are what probably made them all short. Granny wasn't known for seasoning those beans much either and I can't remember if it was my great-grandfather or Nanny but someone supposedly said they didn't know beans could taste good upon having them seasoned and with onions the first time.
But the watery, runny banana pudding is what will always stand out in my mind when it comes to Nanny's mother.
Nanny's banana pudding though, is nothing like that at all.
It's about the best thing you've ever stuck in your mouth as far as banana puddings are concerned.
Nanny's Banana Pudding
Ingredients::
1 box of Nilla Wafers
1 box of Nilla Wafers
6-8 bananas, sliced
12 oz Cool Whip
5 oz box of Instant Vanilla Pudding
2 cups cold milk
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz cream cheese
Directions::
Line a large bowl with Nilla Wafers and banana slices. In another bowl, whisk instant vanilla pudding mix with 2 cups of cold milk for 2 minutes until thick. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. After cream cheese mixture is smooth slowly fold in the Cool Whip. Next, fold in the pudding mixture and spoon over bananas and Nilla Wafers. Chill until set, serve cold.
What is the best dessert your grandmother was known for making?
