i made the magnolia bakery banana pudding for our new year's eve get together and i can't stop thinking about it. i knew there were going to be lots of kiddos and thought it would be much more accessible than the crazy chocolate number or rum balls i was dreaming of. if you are ever wanting an easy dessert to whip up, this is it! i'll save the step by step beautifully styled food photos for those who have the patience for it. the recipe below is delicious!
magnolia's famous banana pudding
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
1 (3.5 oz) package of instant vanilla pudding
3 cups heavy whipped cream
1 box (12 oz) 'nilla wafers
4 cups sliced ripe bananas
in a small bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. add the pudding and beat well, about 2 minutes more.
cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before continuing.
in a large bowl on medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.
to assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass to show off all the yummy bananas and cookies) with a 4-5 quart capacity. arrange 1/3 of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then 1/3 of the bananas and 1/3 of the pudding. repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with wafers or wafer crumbs (get creative) on the top layer of the pudding. cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours (or up to 8 hours) before serving.
