New York City’s iconic Magnolia Bakery is heading north, and has recently announced plans to open 10 locations across Ontario.
Since the year of its opening in 1996, locals and visitors have lined up around the block of Magnolia’s original West Village location for Sex and the City-famous cupcakes and its popular banana pudding – a riff on the traditional southern dessert made with instant vanilla pudding and sweetened condensed milk.
Though softer and more spoonable, banana pudding is structurally similar to icebox cakes. They’re both made by layering crisp cookies with whipped cream or pastry cream, and refrigerating until the cookies soften to the point where the dessert can be sliced (or scooped) to serve.
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Traditionally, banana pudding is made with Nabisco Nilla Wafers, crisp vanilla-flavoured wafer cookies that are no longer distributed in Canada. They’re possible to find here, but considered an import.
Biscoff cookies are a delicious substitute, as are Digestives, Parle-G biscuits or homemade peanut butter cookies. For the peanut butter cookies, try mixing 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 egg (a common formula printed on many peanut butter jars), and baking them a little longer, so they’re crisper.
This version of the dessert enlists Christie Social Tea Biscuits, which are thinner than Nilla Wafers but similarly snappy, with a mild flavour. The Christie brand originated in Canada in 1853, but is now owned by Mondelez International, based in Chicago. However, the Social Tea Biscuits distributed in Canada are manufactured and packaged in Canadian facilities.
Bird’s Custard Powder, an essential ingredient in Nanaimo bars, takes the place of boxed instant vanilla pudding; of course, pudding made from scratch is perfectly acceptable. And though it wouldn’t be banana pudding without bananas, this could easily be made with local fruit in season, from juicy peach slices to fresh berries to pitted cherries, or a combination of summer fruit.
Canadianized banana pudding
Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
These quantities serve about six people, but can be easily scaled up or down to feed as many (or as few) as you like. For a vegan version, use any plant milk (almond, oat, soy, coconut) and whipped coconut cream or other plant-based whipped cream.
- 1/4 cup Bird’s Custard Powder
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups milk (any kind)
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 to 3 bananas (at the ripeness you like)
- 1/2 sleeve Christie Social Tea Biscuits
In a large saucepan, whisk together the custard powder and sugar. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, turning the heat down and stirring constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens. When it has bubbled for about a minute, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl (through a sieve, if you like, to ensure it’s perfectly smooth). Then, place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate until cold. This can be done up to several days in advance.
When you’re ready to assemble, whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla until it stands in stiff peaks. Set aside about a quarter of it – I spoon it into a Ziploc bag to pipe out over the top when it’s ready – and fold the rest into the cooled custard.
In a trifle bowl or other glass dish, spread a bit of custard in the bottom, then top with a layer of cookies (broken up into pieces, if needed) and then a layer of bananas. Top that with another layer of pudding, cookies, bananas and finish with pudding. You can use glasses or jars for individual servings, if you prefer. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to serve, top the pudding with dollops of whipped cream (if you used a Ziploc bag, snip off a corner and pipe it out), slices of banana, and a few broken cookies or cookie crumbs. Serves about six people.