Banana Bread Pudding

[This post was created ages ago, way, way before Ramadhan, about a week or two after my baking craze started]


   It's another episode of Let's Go Bananas.

Let's Go Bananas Episode 2

   I didn't plan this. It's the bananas. They made me do it! They screamed at my face, saying, "Why aren't you doing something to us! We're supposed to be eaten, not left on the counter to ripen!" 


   I stared back. I was the one who had asked Mum or Dad to get the bananas. I was in the mood for eaten fresh, ripe bananas. I put out a hand to pluck one banana off.


   "No!" They screamed. "If we're gonna be eaten, let us do it gracefully! Dress us up! Drown us in custard! Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on our flesh!" 


   Is it me or is it the bananas who have gone bananas?

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Ramblings

   Joy the Baker is a lovely site, filled with great recipes and beautiful pictures. I'd stumble across her blog quite some time ago but only started subscribing a few weeks ago. My favourite entries from her recipes are the Bake sessions, I love seeing her and Jill Donenfield baking and having fun together.


   Ever since I saw the video and the recipe for this pudding, I'd wanted to make it. I love puddings, I love bread puddings, I love bananas and I love cinnamon! It looked easy enough (gulp)... so I suppose things can't go that wrong, huh?


   Since I didn't have a pan the size of that which Joy used, I just used the regular 8 x 8 inch pan that I've always used. I suppose it meant that I'f have to adjust the temperature or something, but I'm not good at that so I just followed what Joy had put.


   I didn't reduce the amount of sugar this time, but I did add more bananas because I didn't have banana extract. I also omitted the bourbon since we don't drink alcohol (it's prohibited for Muslims, actually, but I'll write about that in another entry). 


   Did it work?

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THE Recipe

[Click HERE to view the original recipe]

Ingredients

10 slices of white bread

(toasted, buttered and sliced diagonally)

3 eggs

2 cups of milk

(I used bottled fresh milk)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large bananas, sliced

1 tablespoon icing sugar (for topping)

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for topping)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (170C for my oven).

2. Butter 8 x 8 inch pan (or whatever size works for you) and set aside.

3. Heat milk and sugar in a saucepan just until all the sugar is dissolved.

4. Whip the eggs in a bowl and pour in the milk mixture while continuously whisking the eggs.

5. Arrange the bread triangles in the baking pan. 

6. Sieve the custard into the pan, over the bread. 

7. Slip the slices of bananas in between the bread and deep into the custard.

8. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the custard is set. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar on top.

9. Eat it. It's good hot! 

Just bear in mind that your tongue might fall off if it's TOO hot. Know your tongue.

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Newsflash

TUMPAT, 18th July 2011: About fifteen slices of bananas voiced their dissatisfaction for topping the charts- or rather, topping the top part of a pan of bread pudding. Due to this, they were burnt until black and crisp, unlike their other hundred hundred or so friends who enjoyed themselves as they were cooked deep in the custard below.

   "This is truly unfair!" said one particular slice, which happened to be the end part of one banana. "Being rounder on one side makes it even more displeasing! My rounder part ended up being on top and the effect created became a joke among the clan!"

   The baker, while apologising profusely for her lack of judgement, looked grim. "It was that or ending up as plain bananas and not making it into the custard, which they didn't want! Really, these bananas- anyone would go bananas listening to them!"

   Readers are advised to make sure that the bananas are slipped deep into the custard, should they think of making banana bread pudding. If they have no such thoughts, beware if there are some beautiful, ripe bananas sitting on their counter. Anything can happen with bananas.

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The Verdict

   I'm afraid I misjudged the time chosen to make this. Everybody's still busily going about with their business, so the pudding is sitting patiently in the oven, waiting. For a first timer, it was quite good (of course I tasted it, just a few minutes after it came out of the oven, in fact!), so I'll try to make this again next time I have enough ingredients. 

   However..... it was delicious! I love the crispy top. The bananas I used gave a slightly sourish taste, which I was nice and contrasted the sweetness of the custard.