Banana Pudding Pie with Nilla Wafers

I feel like it's been weeks since I posted. Between training for a new job, being sick this past week, a concert, and tubing the Delaware River, I've been pretty busy. I've had, surprisingly, the chance to bake  somewhere in between. This was a last minute bake based off a sudden urge for banana. and pie.

This recipe is so super simple. With homemade Nilla Wafer crust, fresh vanilla pudding, chopped up bananas and fluffy meringue, it can't get any better. 

Crush up the wafers and add butter for crust. bake for 12 minutes. 

Layer with bananas and pour in the vanilla pudding filling. Add more bananas and a few left over wafers, and another layer of pudding. 

 Top with meringue and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

Layers upon layers of goodness! 

*BE SURE TO SAVE BOTH PARTS OF THE EGG!!*

Banana Pudding Pie

Thanks to www.myrecipies.com

• 1 (12-oz.) box vanilla wafers, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 large bananas, sliced
• 
  
• Vanilla Pudding Instructions: 
• • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • (Combine first 5 ingredients over low heat. Whisk until thick (Like chilled pudding). Turn off the heat and add vanilla. Use immediately.)
• Meringue Ingredients:
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar

1. 1. Set aside 30 vanilla wafers; pulse remaining vanilla wafers in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until coarsely crushed. (Yield should be about 2 1/2 cups.) Stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter until blended. Firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a 9-inch pieplate.
2. 2. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.
3. 3. Arrange banana slices evenly over bottom of crust. Prepare Vanilla Cream Filling, and spread half of hot filling over bananas; top with 20 vanilla wafers. Spread remaining hot filling over vanilla wafers. (Filling will be about 1/4 inch higher than top edge of crust.)
4. 4. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Spread meringue evenly over hot filling, sealing the edges.
5. 5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let cool 1 hour on a wire rack or until completely cool. Coarsely crush remaining 10 vanilla wafers, and sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Chill 4 hours.

Cinnamon Bun Meringues

Small, bite-sized desserts win me over. Every. Time. I see an edible food made small, mini, and extra super cute, I want it- and by the hundreds. When deciding what to make for the blog (and my stomach) this week, I went to my gradually growing list of ideas. I felt ambitious and in the mood for something new.  Meringues. I've never even heard of meringue except on my moms favorite lemon meringue pie. Lots of people (aka my mom and boyfriend, Kris) told me how hard these are to make and what a pain in the behind they can be, but I was actually really amazed at how EASY they were.  The hardest part was holding the electric mixer long enough before getting tired.

I was originally going to make regular meringues with a raspberry sauce, upon Kris's request, but saw the Duncan Hines Frosting Creations and came up with a different combination. Cinnamon Bun topped with cream cheese icing.

Excuse the ugly placement of icing. These went super fast in my house so we kept them out on the counter with the jar of icing and a knife and everyone placed their own icing.  Although- I do suggest warming it up so it's drippy and drizzling it over the top of each with a spoon or icing bag.

These are so super easy, but they do take a lot of prep time and baking time, so be prepared.

Here's the recipe for "simple meringues" that I used. I assume it's a universal recipe.  Plus my modifications to the directions.

Simple Meringues

-2 egg whites

-pinch of cream of tarter

-1/2 cup super fine sugar (I used regular granulated sugar and it seemed to work just as well)

-optional: packet of Duncan Hines Cinnamon Bun icing creations

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Prepare a piping bag with desired tip.  I used the star, but it seemed to have been a little watery to hold the shape.

2.    Put egg whites in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium until frothy.  Stop the mixer and add the cream of tarter. I used 1/8 teaspoon to be exact.

3.    Continue to beat mixture until soft peaks form. The batter should be thick enough to hold a peak, but it droops over in seconds.

4.    When the batter reaches soft peaks, speed up the mixer to high and gradually add sugar.  This process should take you about 7-9 minutes depending if you used superfine or granulated sugar. Pouring the sugar should take you the enter 7 minutes. I mixed the flavor packet in with the sugar and scooped it in a tablespoon at a time.

5.    Once the batter is shiny and holds peaks, it is ready to be placed into a piping bag. Make sure all sugar is devolved and that the batter doesn't feel grainy. Spoon the mixture into the piping bag, and begin piping small mounds onto the cookie sheets. They should be no taller than an inch high

6.    Bake for 90 minutes in the oven. When the meringues are done, turn the oven off and let them sit for a few hours or over night. I took mine out an extent them sit on my table to cool COMPLETELY...except for the few we ate straight out of the oven. 

After cooled, heat up cream cheese icing in the microwave and drizzle over meringues. Let dry completely and store in an air tight container for a few days.