When I was ten years old, circa summer 1973, my Mom loaded my siblings and me into her red 1972 Chevy Nova, the only car she ever purchased new in her whole life (for $2,200, if I recall correctly), and took to the open road on our first, last and only ever family vacation. Our destination: Silver Dollar City, which in 1973 was nothing more than a hillbilly-themed amusement park surrounded on every side by woods and retired couples living in trailers.
I barely remember Silver Dollar City, itself. The life-changing event for me on that trip took place while snaking our way along the winding two-lane highway through those seemingly endless, Ozark woods... Trees, cabins, trees, trailers, trees... boring... boring... boring (remember, I'm ten, here)...
After a long fit of merciless whining, I found myself exhausted and dozing in the back seat, smashed between my older brother and an overstuffed suitcase, my feet folded up on the seat beneath me.
I snapped suddenly awake. Rising on the wind blasting back from my sisters open front seat window was a heavenly aroma so powerful it eclipsed even the mix of new car smell and my brother's sour teenage sweat permeating the back seat. A heavy, intoxicating fruitiness gripped me by the nostrils and dragged me through a hallucinatory vision (it was 1973, after all) of a million Mickey's Banana Flips tumbling out of the sky like gold coins paying out everywhere from God's own slot machine...
"Stop!" I shouted, barely able to contain myself. "What's... that... smell...?"
Mom didn't stop, but she did slow down long enough for me to glue my face to the back seat window as a clearing in the woods appeared, filled with a factory I remember looking remarkably like a glistening, yellow version of the castle from Sunday night TV's The Wonderful World of Disney, with a large wooden sign in front reading "Something... Something... CANDY FACTORY."
I'm sure if I returned as an adult to that exact spot, there would be no castle, no factory... The locals would swear there had never been one there... But I will forever cherish my magical memory of glimpsing, however briefly, at the tender age of ten, the sparkling heavenly source of all the banana candy in the world...
I went crazy for everything banana after that, craving fruity yellow gold like a boy obsessed. Banana Flips, banana cake, banana ice cream, banana taffy... And, of course, the very best dessert my mom (and yours too, I'll wager) ever brought to a family reunion or church potluck dinner, that amazing chilled banana pudding vanilla wafer thing everybody loves...
Done here, 100% vegan. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
The pudding:
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups plain, unsweetened soy milk
NOTE: I have also made this with almond milk, and it tastes fabulous. However, the pudding tends to turn an unappetizing gray color in the fridge. Soy-ophobes might try coconut milk?
2 generous tablespoons vegan margarine to add a touch of yellow coloring, and just a hint of saltiness
1 small ripe banana, well mashed (about 3 Tablespoons worth)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Yellow food coloring (optional)
For layering:
3 to 4 ripe bananas
Vegan vanilla wafers. Keebler makes a "Sugar Vanilla Wafer" this is 100% Vegan. Other brands may be, as well. Read those labels! If all else fails, you can use Earth’s Best Organic “Letter of the Day” Cookies, a Sesame Street spin-off with square vanilla cookies that deviate from the traditional '70s look of this dessert, but taste the same, and are 100% vegan.
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and baking powder. Stir in the soy milk and begin heating on medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils.
2. Add the mashed banana and vegan margarine. Cook, stirring, for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. If you want to achieve that bright yellow color you get from store-bought boxed banana pudding mixes, add a drop or two of yellow food coloring.
3. Line the bottom of an appropriately sized serving dish with vanilla wafers.
4. Cover the wafers completely with a layer of sliced banana. My mom sliced hers in coins. Yours may have sliced long-ways. Either way is fine!
5. Pour about half of the pudding over the bananas. Repeat the layers of cookies, bananas, and pudding.
6. Refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve cold and wonderful! Share the vision!