Okay, this dessert may not be ideal for the under age 21 crowd, but it is downright delicious. I had seen the recipe listed on the Cooking Channel awhile back and knew I was going to have to give it a try. I did have to go out and get some bourbon and gingersnaps, but other than that I had all the ingredients on hand to make this yummy dessert. You need to make this one in the morning if you want to be able to have it after dinner that same night or plan on eating it the next day so it can really set.

Bourbon Banana Puddings

2 cups milk

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons bourbon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

30 gingersnap cookies

4 ripe bananas, sliced crosswise

For the pudding base: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle simmer over medium heat. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Stir a small amount of the warmed milk into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the custard starts to thicken, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the bourbon and the vanilla and continue cooking until it is glossy and quite thick, another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the butter, stirring until the butter is completely melted.

Push the pudding through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Press plastic wrap directly over the surface of the pudding and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.

To assemble: In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream and vanilla with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the bourbon pudding until no visible streaks remain. In individual serving glasses, layer the pudding, gingersnaps, and bananas, finishing with a layer of pudding on top. Chill for 4 hours and no longer than 8 hours before serving. Crush the remaining gingersnaps and sprinkle the crumbs over the top.

You could certainly serve this in one large bowl instead of using individual glasses, but it does look quite nice in the glasses like this and makes for nice presentation for dessert. I am not a big pudding eater but I really liked this one. You get great flavor from the bananas, a little crunch from the gingersnaps and you can certainly taste the bourbon and vanilla in the pudding as well, all combining for a wonderful flavor. We each ate one up rather quickly last night after dinner. I would certainly make this dessert again if we are having a dinner party.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again for other recipes of some things I have tried recently, including a Tuscan steak with crispy potatoes that we had last night for dinner. Until the next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!