Yellow Monday: Dolly Parton's Banana Pudding

Here at AnOther we have dedicated an entire day to the colour yellow, as a happy antidote to what is officially known as Blue Monday – the most depressing day of the year. So what better to banish the blues than an indulging in a deliciously decadent, sunshine coloured pudding, cooked up by the Queen of Country herself, Dolly Parton.

Now entering the fifth decade of her career, with a rumoured Glastonbury performance on the cards and an ever-growing tower of blonde locks, the 68 year old is showing no signs of slowing down. Here, we share her classically Southern recipe for a sumptuous Banana Pudding, taken from her bestselling cookbook Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s.

Pudding

1 box of vanilla wafer cookies 
4 large firm, ripe bananas, sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar 
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
3 cups milk 
1 large egg
Yolks of 3 large eggs 
1/4 cup butter or margarine 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue Topping

Whites of 3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In deep dish toss the cookies and bananas to mix well; set aside.

3. In a large saucepan combine 3/4 cup of sugar, flour and salt, beat in milk until blended and smooth. Bring to boil over medium-low heat and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

4. In small bowl beat egg and egg yolks, adding 2 - 3 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture. Stir egg mixture into saucepan and set over a low heat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture is hot but not boiling. Stir in the butter until melted. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour mixture over cookies and bananas in casserole.

5. To prepare the meringue topping beat the egg whites, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form. Spoon the mixture over the top of the pudding and bake for 15 minutes until top is golden.

Text by Rhiannon Wastell