INDIVIDUAL BANANA PUDDING CUPS RECIPES

Steps:

• Make pudding: Combine sugar, flour and salt in a medium pan. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to boil, about 8 minutes. Gently boil for 3 minutes.
• Place yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture. Immediately transfer yolk mixture to milk mixture in pan. Cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of pudding. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold.
• Make topping: When ready to serve, whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Divide 1/2 of pudding among 4 bowls. Top with 1/2 of bananas and wafers. Add remaining pudding, bananas and wafers. Top with whipped cream.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, remove from the heat. *If using fresh vanilla bean, split the bean and scrape out the seeds. Add the bean and seeds to the milk and then bring it to a boil. After boiling, infuse for 10 minutes before straining.
• While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy (pale yellow in color). Add the cornstarch and whisk together until no lumps remain.
• In a slow steady stream, add approximately a ¼ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Continue this process until all milk has been slowly added.
• Pour the mixture, through a strainer, back into the small saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slightly boiling.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Let the mixture cool slightly before transferring to a boil or container. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, to prevent it from forming a skin. Chill for at least two hours before using.
• In a cold and clean mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.
• Add sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until stiff peaks form, watching carefully to avoid over-whipping.
• Transfer the cooled pastry cream to a pastry bag or ziptop bag with the corner cut off.
• Cut both bananas into thin slices. *Do not complete this step until you are ready to assemble the cups, otherwise, the bananas will turn brown.
• Place 3-4 mini vanilla wafer cookies at the base of each jar or cup. Pipe a small layer, enough to cover the cookies, of pastry cream into each cup. Layer 4-5 banana slices over the pastry cream. Finally, scoop a heaping spoonful of whipped cream over the bananas and gently press down into a flattened layer. Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the jar or cup.
• Scoop whipped cream over the top of each completed banana pudding. Garnish with a mini vanilla wafer and a banana slice (or banana chip).
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.