Vanilla Custard with Salted Caramel & Banana is a simple dessert with complex flavor.
I think bananas may be my favorite fruit. I love the flavor of bananas in desserts, and I like to eat them as a quick breakfast or meal replacement. This recipe has been swirling around my head as the proverbial "bee in my bonnet". This is usually a phrase reserved for Jackie; I kindly poke fun at her by using this unusual phrase that she grew up saying. Well now it's me that's been stung by the bee.
I am not sure where it started, but the idea of bananas and cashews in a recipe has been in my head for a while. I just was not sure what to do with it. I asked Jackie for some help, and together, almost simultaneously we blurted out "salted caramel". Well it had to be fate. Now we had an idea, we just needed a vessel to support that brilliant flavor combination. Vanilla Custard with Salted Caramel & Banana was coming to life.
Sure, we could have done a bread, a muffin, or some other wonderful baked good, but I am not one who loves to bake. I wanted something a little different. I had a recollection of the vanilla wafer and boxed pudding dessert my mom made me when I was younger, and I thought why not create a variation of that. If I do say so myself, this Vanilla Custard with Salted Caramel & Banana is a delicious, elevated take of one of my childhood favorites.
Vanilla Custard with Salted Caramel & Banana
A fresh tasting custard that has a warm salted caramel banana topping with a touch of sea salt.
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Ingredients
- ¾ C sugar
- 2 ½ Tbsp corn starch
- 2 ¼ C whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon banana extract
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 bananas, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 tbsp cashew pieces
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk ¼ C of the sugar and all of the cornstarch together. Whisk in ¼ C milk and then transfer to medium sauce pan. Add the egg yolks and mix until smooth.Whisk in the remaining milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Make sure to use a high heat spatula and scrape the sides and bottom of pan to avoid sticking.
- Continue to cook until thickened (about 3 minutes).
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and banana extract along with 1 tablespoon butter.
- Divide into 4 dessert glasses.
- To caramelize the bananas, combine the remaining ½ C sugar and 2 tablespoon water in a large skillet. Cook over medium high heat, moving the pan constantly to cook the sugar evenly and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
- Add the remaining butter, sliced bananas and cashew pieces and cook an additional minute.
- Remove from heat and add salt and stir.
- Spoon over warm pudding and serve
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
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