Top Chef Kevin Gillespie’s All-Star Banana Pudding Will Become a Family Favorite.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high, combine half-and-half, milk, vanilla bean pod and ½ tsp extract. Cook 4 minutes or until bubbles start to form around edges; remove from heat. Fish out vanilla pod. Use a paring knife to split pod and scrape out beans; add to milk mixture. Discard pod.
3. In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups sugar and yolks 1 minute or until very thick and pale yellow. Sift in flour; add salt. Stir to combine. Slowly whisk in ¾ cup milk mixture. Whisk yolk mixture into pan. Return pan to medium heat; cook 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter, 1 cube at a time, until incorporated. Blend with an immersion blender 1 minute. Press pudding through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any remaining lumps.
4. Arrange pound cake in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; turn slices. Toast 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; brush both sides with coffee.
5. Spoon about 1½ cups pudding into bottom of a 2-quart deep casserole dish. Layer pound cake and bananas on top. Repeat process, ending with a layer of pudding.
6. In a small bowl, whisk remaining ½ cup sugar and cream of tartar. Place egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 2 minutes or until thick and frothy. With motor running, gradually add sugar mixture. Add remaining 1 tsp extract; beat until soft peaks form.
7. Mound meringue on top of pudding; spread to cover evenly and seal at edges. Use back of a spoon to swirl meringue into peaks. Bake 5 minutes or until peaks are browned. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.