Banana Bread Pudding

Okay, that whole “Fruit Forward Fridays” is a joke-thing.

I get the whole alliteration trend with “Meatless Mondays” and “Follow Fridays” and all, trust me. I’m part of “Milk Bar Mondays”, which is one of my favorite blogging groups (check out our Compost Cookies from Christina Tosi’s book this coming Monday – it’s a little too cool for school).  And I #FF back on Twitter. And I obviously appreciate a little word wit.

But, come on. Did my 12-year-old self ever foresee, when reaching into my fridge for a mid-day, typing-away snack, that the title popping into my head for a post would be “Fruit Forward Fridays”?

I think 12-year-old Jacqueline would pop 30-year-old Jacqueline a good one. Probably in her bad knee.

Social networking – as much as I love it – makes me chuckle and roll my eyes now and then.

This week I did four pretty killer interviews. All with incredibly different contributors to the NYC food scene, telling a dynamic range of stories. I came home exhausted but exhilarated from the discussions, transcribing away on my subway trips home, tiny laptop balanced comfortably.

I like talking with people. As in, those who sit in front of me.

But, back to you, person reading this on a screen.

Despite the potential of this recipe’s name, you do need to bake a banana bread to make it. I used a drying loaf of Portuguese Easter Masa bread. A gluten-free cinnamon raisin or millet bread would be grand. Or, for the glutenous, a loaf of challah would probably rock the world.

Bread puddings are incredibly easy and adaptable.  This one is bread heavy, but adding some cold milk upon serving would take it to a new place. Or, alternatively, just whipping up a bit more custard.  Folding in fresh raspberries right before baking would personally make me swoon. Adding some raw walnuts in would bring about one happy Curious George from this girl.

Oh, and it’s dairy free. And only uses a bit of maple syrup as the sweetener, which should be adjusted depending on the kind and amount of sweetness of your bread. It’s my preferred sweetener, and coconut is so good for you, so it’s an indulgent treat with some body-loving goodness.

While I loved the crap outta the too-many servings I’ve had of this over the course of the week, feel free to play.

It is, after all, Fun Freaky Friday.

– Jacqueline

Sorta hard to make this dish look fancy... thank dog it's not Fancy Food Fridays.

Banana Bread Pudding

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cubed bread (about 3/4 inch cubes)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 7 egg yolks plus one whole egg from large eggs
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Fresh fruit, milk or nuts as desired

Microwave the bananas in a heat-proof bowl or Pyrex until they just begin to liquefy and brown, about 1 minute. If your bananas are old and dark, you can skip this step.

In a large bowl (using a whisk, fork or hand blender), mash the bananas. Add the egg / yolk and whisk thoroughly until creamy. Pour in the coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk/beat until creamy and a bit aerated. Pour in the bread crumbs and gently fold them into the mixture. Let sit for about 30-60 minutes, until some of the liquid is absorbed.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°. At this point, stir in any extras you desire and gently combine. Pour mixture into a deep baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes, uncovered, until the bread on top gets a bit brown and golden.

Serve warm, maybe with some cold milk or a crumbling of nuts.