Miguel Solano had been residing in New York Metropolis for a couple of 12 months when he first visited Magnolia Bakery. He ordered a cupcake, however his good friend insisted that he attempt the well-known banana pudding. “It was the very best choice ever,” remembers Solano. The previous Complexions Modern Ballet dancer, now a creative affiliate and répétiteur on the firm, returned to the dish throughout the pandemic. He was residing together with his household in Colombia and determined to increase on his love of cooking. “Each week on Sunday we’d have a household meal, and I’d make dessert,” he says. “I began a pattern on my social media the place I’d submit the components, and ask individuals what they thought I used to be making. It lasted for about 10 months.”
Banana pudding was certainly one of Solano’s first explorations. At first, he made all the pieces from scratch, together with the cookies and the pudding. After tinkering together with his recipe over time, he realized he may make an easier model by utilizing some premade components. “It’s such a straightforward dessert, as a result of it doesn’t require an excessive amount of [active] time,” says Solano. “It’s such a scrumptious recipe. Everyone loves it!”
Cooking as Meditation
Solano realized to cook dinner from his mother. As soon as he began dancing full-time, his time within the kitchen turned extra deliberate. “I’m very intentional with every ingredient, as a result of I really like meals,” says Solano. “Being within the kitchen is sort of like meditation.” Solano makes use of cooking as an opportunity to disconnect: He doesn’t play music, and avoids his cellphone and pc except he must lookup a recipe. “Particularly once I’m baking, I take into consideration the way it’s science. It’s all about taking part in with temperature and taste,” says Solano. “I really feel like I’m in my very own lab once I cook dinner.”
Elements
Chocolate variation: Substitute chocolate pudding combine for vanilla pudding combine and Oreos for Nilla Wafers.
- 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 3.4-oz field on the spot vanilla pudding combine (“Jell-O model is my favourite,” says Solano.)
- 1 1/2 cups ice water
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 3–4 ripe bananas, sliced in rounds
- 11-oz field mini Nilla Wafers. Reserve 10–12 cookies for ending. (“In the event you can’t discover the minis, select any cookie that can take in somewhat little bit of the cream to present you a cake texture on the finish,” says Solano.)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, dissolve the pudding combine with 1 1/2 cups ice water. Whisk till absolutely mixed. Cowl and refrigerate to let set for a minimum of 2 hours, or in a single day.
- Utilizing an electrical mixer, whisk the heavy cream in a big bowl till stiff peaks type. It is going to be best if the cream could be very chilly. (“In the event you don’t have an electrical mixer, you possibly can whisk by hand and get a exercise,” notes Solano.)
- Take away the pudding from the fridge, and calmly stir to interrupt it up. Utilizing a rubber spatula, gently fold the pudding into the whipped cream till it’s mixed however nonetheless ethereal.
- Select whether or not you’d wish to assemble the pudding in a Pyrex or baking dish, or in particular person bowls or jam jars. Begin with a skinny layer of the pudding-cream combination, then add a layer of sliced bananas, and a layer of cookies. (“You’ll be able to crumble a number of of the cookies so as to add totally different textures, says Solano.) Repeat the method a minimum of two extra occasions, reserving 10–12 cookies. Cowl pudding tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. (“It’s finest to assemble it the day you will serve it,” says Solano.)
- When you’re able to serve the dish, add the remaining cookies in any design you’d like for an added crunch. Voilà!
