Clarke County Democrat

Memories & Recipes

West Virginia banana pudding recipe shared



 

 

My son-in-law Burke Allen is a long time member of the media. When he and my daughter, Cristi met, he was a morning radio personality in Savannah, Ga. and she was a frequent listener to his program. Burke has been on the air and managed radio stations in cities like Miami, Washington, DC, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Orlando and his home state of West Virginia.

After all those years interviewing thousands of people, Burke put his skills to work for others, and for the past several years his company Allen Media Strategies has helped media personalites with their own radio, TV and print media campaigns.

One of his favorite clients is fellow West Virginia native Homer Hickam. If that name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve read one of Homer’s best selling books like, “We Are Not Afraid,” “Sky Of Stone,” “Back To The Moon” or “The Keepers Son.”

Homer’s New York Times #1 best seller “The Rocket Boys,” about his life growing up in the West Virginia coal fields and building rockets with his high school buddies, became the hit movie “October Sky.” In it, Homer was portrayed by young Hollywood hunk Jake Gyllenhaal.

Homer and his wife Linda make their home in Alabama now, in Huntsville, “Rocket City USA,” where Homer settled as a NASA astronaut trainer many years ago.

Homer has led quite an exciting life; he’s received Alabama’s highest award for heroism for a daring scuba rescue, carried the Olympic torch through Huntsville, is a decorated Vietam vet, taught TV host David Letterman how to scuba dive and even digs for dinosaurs every summer with the famed Dr. Jack Horner in Montana.

Homer’s most recent book, “The Ambassador’s Son” was published by St. Martin’s Press and has been optioned to be made into a movie by producer Chuck Gordon. Some of Chuck’s big screen hits include “Field of Dreams,” “Die Hard,” and the movie about Homer, “October Sky.” The paperback edition of “The Ambassador’s Son” is being released this week, so look for it in a bookstore near you. Homer will be a featured speaker at the Alabama Writer’s Symposium in Monroeville this Saturday, May 6.

I’m pleased to share with you a great dessert recipe from Homer’s Mom, Elsie. If you saw the movie “October Sky” or read any of Homer’s books about his family and his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, then you know what a strong presence Elsie has on those around her. By the way, Elsie is doing great, and living in Myrtle Beach, S. C. (which will make you laugh, if you read “The Rocket Boys” or saw the movie “October Sky”).
    Pudding:
      2/3 cup sugar
      dash of salt
      1/4 cup flour
3 egg yokes, beaten
    1/2 tsp. Vanilla
      2 cups milk
4 ripe bananas, sliced
Box of Vanilla Wafers
  Meringue:
      3 egg whites
    6 Tbsp. sugar
    1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Combine sugar, salt, and flour, add to egg yoke and vanilla. Heat milk in saucepan and slowly add this egg mixture, stirring well. Stirring often to avoid scorched bottom, cook at medium heat until thick. Set aside. In shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish arrange vanilla wafers to cover bottom and then a layer of bananas and cover with pudding. Continue layer of wafers, bananas and pudding until gone. To make meringue topping, beat egg whites, sugar and vanilla until very stiff. Spread over pudding and bake 400 degrees until golden brown, checking often. Serve warm or cold. Serves eight.

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