Southern Banana Pudding

It is summer in the Deep South. I know the calendar may not say that, but the thermometer does. That means that any chance we get to avoid standing over a hot stove is a good thing. Really good.

Recently our entire immediately family descended for Sunday lunch. We always enjoy that so much. And, yes, it does require the stove and oven. But at least dessert was cool and fresh.

This recipe originated on a box. Many truly good recipes do. But it came to my Mother via a good friend. The friend took it to an event at the senior center. Mother loved it -- she says it's not "too sweet" -- and called for the recipe. I, as always, love its simplicity.

Southern Banana Pudding

2 1/2 cups milk
1 package (5.1 oz) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding Mix
Box of Nilla Wafers
3 bananas, sliced
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip topping, thawed (or 2/3 of large tub of Cool Whip)

Beat milk and pudding mix with whisk for 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cover bottom of 2-quart bowl with layer of Nilla Wafers; top with layers of 1/2 each bananas and pudding. Repeat all three layers. Cover with Cool Whip.

Refrigerate one hour.

Enjoy!

Original Nilla Banana Pudding

I don't ever remember not eating Banana Pudding. It was a staple at our house when I was growing up. And always made with Nilla Wafers. I'm not even sure there is another brand out there. Anyway, here's the recipe as printed on the side of the box.

The recipe calls for three layers with the pudding. I always did two layers. I know. It's because that's how my Mother does it. Either way works great!

Original Nilla Banana Pudding

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup flour
dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
45 Nilla Wafers, divided (think one box)
5 medium ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Reserve 12 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1-1/2 quart baking dish; cover with lyers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers and sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of the remaining custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with the custard.

Beat egg whites on HIGH with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon over custard; spread evenly to cover entire surface of custard and sealing well to edge.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Top with reserved 12 wafers just before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Blackberry Cobbler

Tried a new recipe for Blackberry Cobbler. It was really good. Okay. The berries were probably dewberries, whatever they are. The real blackberries are still green. I don't know how to tell the difference except that dewberries come earlier and need more sugar.

This recipe was super easy. That was a good thing. We had company coming and I needed something quick and easy. Be sure to serve it warm with a little Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream.

I made my cobbler last night, let it cool, then put in the fridge overnight. Today I put some cobbler in individual bowls and put them in the microwave. Then I added the ice cream. Super good!

Blackberry Cobbler

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh blackberries
5 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

Stir 1/2 cup sugar into bowl with blackberries. Set aside.

Melt butter. Pour into the bottom of a pie dish or 9 x 9-inch pan.

Stir together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Then add milk. Stir only until completely mixed. Don't over-stir. Pour over melted butter. Do not mix. Pour blackberries over flour mixture. Again, do not mix.

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake until done, about 45 minutes.

Blackberry Cobbler Blackberry Cobbler
Blackberry Cobbler Blackberry Cobbler

Coconut Cake

Some of the very best recipes in the Deep South are passed from cook to cook. They're written on little slips of paper, usually with no directions other than ingredients. It's assumed you know how to throw it all together and make the ingredients come out tasting wonderful. What they don't tell you is that most really good cooks kind of alter things as they go. At least in the South. That we get the recipe ingredients written down is a big deal.



Now that I've totally freaked you out, let me assure you that this recipe comes complete with ingredients and directions. It was passed from one cook to another on a little slip of paper. I've added the directions. It's a wonderful cake. I know you'll enjoy it.

Coconut Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 box intant coconut pudding
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon coconut flavoring
1 tablespoon vanilla



Mix all ingredients together, blending well. Start with the cake mix and pudding, add a little water and oil until you've added it all. Add one egg at a time, blending thoroughly after each. Then finish with the flavorings.



Grease and flour three to four cake pans. Divide the cake batter evenly among the pans. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. Remember that oven temperatures vary. You'll need to check it, especially the first time, to see how long this cake takes in your oven. Then you can jot down the time for when you make it again. And you will want to make it again. When the layers have finished baking, remove them from the pans and cool on racks.

Icing

1 box confectioners sugar
1 cup white crisco
1 tablespoon coconut flavoring
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
1 12-oz. package frozen coconut, thawed
3 egg whites



Beat all ingredients, except the coconut, together until it's smooth. Stir in the coconut. Frost your cake. I recommend storing the cake in the refrigerator.

Coconut Cake

Orange Salad

Some folks love congealed salads. Are you one of them? My mother is. She's forever searching for a recipe that everyone will eat. This one comes pretty close.



It's also really good for that extra dish when you're serving a crowd. And it's a good make-ahead dish for when you need to take something somewhere but don't have time to bake it and take it while it's warm. This goes in the refrigerator until it's firm and then on to wherever you need it. That's perfect for a busy schedule.

Orange Salad

1 small box of orange jello
1 small can of Mandarin oranges (8.4 oz. size)
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 9-oz. tub of Cool Whip
1 cup chopped nuts (We use pecans)



Drain all the fruits, saving all the juice. Bring the juice to a boil. Dissolve the jello in the juice, then add all the other ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a dish. Place dish in the refrigerator until firm. I prefer to make it a day ahead.



Enjoy!

Chili for Hot Dogs

Shhh. This is a secret recipe. Many years ago Andrews Sweet Shoppe made this chili and put it on their famous chili dogs. The old timers, like my Mother, still talk about going there for the chili dogs. Sadly, Andrews Sweet Shoppe is no more. They even closed the gift shop in December. But this recipe lives on. Thank you, Joyce, for giving it to my Mother before you died. It is still eaten and enjoyed by many.

Hot Dog Chili

1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix
3 "shakes" Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
onion, finely chopped, as desired -- use as little or as much as you like
black pepper, as desired
salt, as desired

Mix beef with a little water and stir until soupy in a boiler, then brown. Stir in other items and simmer. You can make this chili as thick or thin as desired by cooking out the water or adding more. Mother prefers it thick. She says that's how it was served when she was a child.

Pecan Pie

In the Deep South, pecans are part of everything. Okay. I exaggerated. We do cook some things without nuts. It's just that pecans and peanuts are everywhere. They're both big crops in this part of the world. Most of us have pecan trees and some folks -- not us anymore -- grow peanuts. It's that old adage of using what you have.

This recipe came from my Mother's Mother. Gran was a wonderful cook. Pecan Pie is a staple but not everyone can make a pie you want to eat. I know. It's shocking. This recipe is wonderful.

Pecan Pie

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
3 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 tablespoons milk
one unbaked pie crust

Beat the eggs until they are well blended. Gradually add all the other ingredients. Pour into an unbaked pie crust.

Bake 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Enjoy!