1 pastry crust
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup corn starch
12 oz evaporated milk
1½ cup skim milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp maple extract
5 bananas
For pastry crust, combine 1 cup all purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp shortening; mix together until particles are the size of tiny peas. Sprinkle with water and mix only enough for dough to come away from sides of bowl. Form into ball. Roll out pastry and ease into pie plate. Prick with a fork and bake in 425ยบ oven for 10-15 minutes.
Combine sugar and corn starch in large sauce pan with milk. Mix well; cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil—stirring constantly. Add a little of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and then add all back into the hot mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat, add butter and maple extract. Cool in sauce pan to lukewarm. Slice bananas and place in bottom of cooked pastry crust. Pour cooled pudding mixture over bananas. Chill for at least three hours. Garnish with whipped cream and more bananas if desired.
© Crackerberries 2011
Most people think of corned beef and cabbage as the traditional Saint Patrick’s Day dinner. It’s actually a New England boiled dinner. We ate most of it before I realized I didn’t take a picture, so I tried to make the leftovers presentable. Traditionally a New England boiled dinner is made with parsnips or turnips; parsnips give me hives so I replaced them with beets. That will work out perfect for my corned beef hash tomorrow.
4 lbs corned beef
1 package of petites carrots
1 medium onion, quartered
3 large potatoes, peeled & quartered
3 fresh beets
1 head cabbage cut into wedges
2 bay leaves
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp basil leaves
Cover meat with cold water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered 4 hours.
Add cabbage, cook for 15 minutes.
Quarter beets and place in separate sauce pan to cook for about 45 minutes. (I cook the beet separately so that they do not turn the other vegetables red).
Add potatoes and carrots; cook for 30 minutes. Remove meat and cut into pieces; place vegetables strategically around meat.
Serve with horseradish mustard and plenty of vinegar for the cabbage and beets. The pumpernickel bread in the background will make for excellent Rueben’s tonight.
© Crackerberries 2011
