Banana Pudding

Recipe No. 109 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Desserts. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Milk, evaporated — 13 — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 1½ gallons (6 No. 56 dippers)
• Cornstarch — 1¼ pounds (1¾ mess kit cups)
• Sugar, granulated — 4 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Eggs, well beaten — 24 eggs (1¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Vanilla — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Bananas, sliced — 12 pounds

Directions

Key ingredients

Cornstarch · Evaporated Milk

1. Mix milk and water.
2. Mix cornstarch, ½ sugar and a small amount of cold milk together; stir until smooth.
3. Combine the other 2 pounds sugar, the salt and remaining milk; heat to boiling point.
4. Add cornstarch mixture very slowly to hot milk. Simmer until thick and clear, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
5. Pour hot mixture slowly onto beaten egg; mix well. Add vanilla.
6. Cool, stirring occasionally.
7. Add bananas just before serving.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Milk, evaporated — 1 can(s) (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 2 cups Cornstarch — 1⅔ oz Sugar, granulated — 5 oz Salt — about ½ tsp Eggs, well beaten — 2 eggs Vanilla — about ½ tsp Bananas, sliced — 15⅓ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 109, Desserts. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.