Reassurance Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding


Somatic reassurance through good eating is essential in anxious times (and aren’t most times anxious these days?). Redolent with the global flavors of bananas (Polynesia), chocolate (Mesoamerica), vanilla (Mexico), and a sturdy pudding custard (England), this dessert sends reassurance directly to the cellular level. Sweet, caramelized bananas and soft, fluffy brioche are the key ingredients, and be sure to treat yourself and use high-quality chocolate as well. On a rainy autumn evening, this dessert pairs well with homemade macaroni and cheese with roasted Brussels sprouts, both featured in my new cookbook, Fresh Food Science: 101 Healthy, Easy, Delicious Recipes for Tween, Teen & Young Adult Chefs, available from Amazon, Red Balloon Bookshop, Wild Rumpus Books, Valley Bookstore, and WordHaven BookHouse.  If you are hankering for more puddings after this one, Fresh Food Science also features five chia pudding recipes and seven tapioca pudding recipes, of which my current favorite is pistachio-rose tapioca – but really, any pudding delivers a comforting message of love and care. 




Makes 12 servings 
 
Ingredients 
1 loaf brioche 
1/2 cup cane sugar (divided) 
2 bananas 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided) 
4 eggs 
1/8 cup pineapple juice 
2 cups milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (or 1 4-ounce semisweet chocolate bar, chopped) 

Equipment 
Oven 
Cutting board 
Serrated knife 
Stainless steel skillet 
Table knife 
Bowl 
Whisk 
Stovetop 
Hot pad
Rubber spatula 
4- or 6-quart baking dish (a 9x13 inch pan works, too) 

Prep 
1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. 
2. Using a cutting board and serrated knife, cut 1 loaf brioche into 1-inch cubes. 
3. Sprinkle ¼ cup cane sugar evenly across the bottom of a stainless steel skillet. 
4. Use a table knife to slice 2 bananas directly on top of the sugar, aiming for a single layer of ¼-inch thick banana slices. 
5. Use a table knife to cut 2 tablespoons butter into 8 cubes. Tuck the cubes around the bananas in the skillet. 
6. Divide 4 eggs, placing the yolks in a medium bowl. Save the egg whites for an egg-white omelet. 
7. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup cane sugar, 1/8 cup pineapple juice, 2 cups milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla into the egg yolks until the mixture is creamy and smooth. 

Cook 
1. Heat the sugar, bananas, and butter over medium heat until the sugar and butter have melted and turned yellow, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. 
2. Holding the skillet handle with a hot pad in one hand and a rubber spatula in the other, gently scoop the caramelized bananas in to a 4- or 6-quart baking dish. Spread the bananas into an even layer. 
3. Sprinkle ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips evenly over the bananas. 
4. Layer the brioche cubes over the chocolate. 
5. Pour the egg mixture over the brioche, using the rubber spatula to gently turn the top cubes to ensure that all the bread is soaked in the custard. 
6. Dot the top of the pudding with butter. 
7. Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 45, until the top is golden brown. 8. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.


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