Recipe for Magnolia Bakery's famous banana pudding.

Although they are more famous for their cupcakes, I heard from many people that they actually prefer Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding to their cupcakes. And when I found their recipe online, which was taken from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, I tried it and it tasted and looked exactly like the one you would get at one of their stores, so I don't see the point of buying it in a store, when you can make the exact one at home.

I bake a lot, but if you are one of those people who doesn't use the kitchen much (like my former self), even you can whip this up in no time, because it does not even require baking. It is so easy; just follow the recipe below. And it has only a few ingredients. Here is a photo I took of the banana pudding I made today :

Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding recipe, as taken from their cookbook:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1½ cups ice cold water
• 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)  (PS: I think this recipe needs more wafers than the 12 oz box.  Next time I make this, I will use half of a box more than what the recipe calls)
• 4 cups sliced ripe bananas

In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. (PS: I did not want to wait for 3 hrs, so I put it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, and then the freezer for 10-15 minutes, and it was as set as it could be; just make sure that it is an "instant" vanilla pudding mix that you used. If it isn't instant, it will take longer to set. But also be careful with the time in the freezer if you are going to do it my way, because you don't want a frozen pudding).  It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours - before serving.

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My best list for desserts in NYC and LA

Having lived in LA for about 4 years and having been living in NYC for over 10 years now, I have gathered a list of my favourite places to eat certain desserts I like at in the US. I am Turkish and have not found a single Turkish restaurant in those two cities that is as good as the ones in Turkey, so there won't be any on my list. Turkish cuisine is rich, exquisite and very delicious, but I suggest you visit Turkey to get the best of the best. I also lived in Seattle for a very short time, but that was many many moons ago and the places I liked may be closed now for all I know, so I will also skip Seattle in the list. So, here it is, my best list for those who have a sweet tooth or two:

• House of Pies,  Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA: This place has the most delicious blueberry cheesecake pie I have ever eaten. And it is 24 hrs open (or was when I lived there), AND it was only 6 blocks from where I lived, which meant many 2 am runs to get a cheesecake pie because of sudden cravings. Well worth it. 

• Canter's Delicatessen, , Los Angeles, CA: there are so many yummy pastries there, but my favourite has been the Hungarian cheesecake. You will want more.

• Chelsea Market, New York, NY: If you are a foodie like me, you MUST go to this place if you live in or visit NYC. It has many stores in it that have all kinds of delicious food. But my favourites are lobster roll at the Lobster Place and carrot cake with cream cheese icing at Amy's Bread.

• Caffe Dante, Greenwich Village, New York, NY: On a Food Network show I heard a famous chef say it had the best cannoli in town. And when I tried it, it really was delicious, but I have not eaten cannoli in enough places in NYC to classify it as the "best" yet, but so far it has been the best of the cannolis that I have eaten for sure.

• Eataly, New York, NY: This is a bit of a high end Italian shops/mall place where you can shop Italian goods or sit down to eat. One of its co-owners is the famous chef Mario Batali. It is very pricey, so it can not be a frequent stop for me by any means, but for once in a blue moon it is worth a visit. One of the things I got there was baba al rum dessert, and it was very delicious.

• François Payard Bakery, New York, NY: This bakery is very close to Caffe Dante, so you can visit both places on the same day. I love their coffee macarons (pictured below). They are the yummiest macarons I have ever tasted.

• Balthazar Bakery, Soho, New York, NY: Great French pastries. It has the best croissants. Try them with their great lemonade in the summer. 

Now, I can't finish this post without any pictures, right? In no particular order, here are some pictures:

Beef and broccoli recipe

Above is a picture I took of the beef and broccoli (recipe by Emeril Lagasse) I made. I have used this recipe many times, and each time it came out perfectly. And I just wanted to share it.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons orange blossom honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
2 pounds beef flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain*
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large onion, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons grated ginger
2 large heads broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
¼ cup cilantro leaves
1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
Steamed brown rice, for serving
Method:

Combine the oyster sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. Mix well and set aside until ready to use.

Preheat a wok or a large skillet. Once it has reached a medium heat, add the peanut oil.

Dredge the beef in the cornstarch, lightly shake off any excess cornstarch and add the
beef to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger, broccoli and cilantro to the pan and shake frequently.
Add the sauce and stir to evenly coat the beef and broccoli. Cook until the sauce thickens
and broccoli is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with steamed brown
rice.

Oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies recipe

My first food post will be a recipe that is beyond delicious. I came up with this recipe after trying a couple of different recipes. This one is just perfection.

 I also took a picture of it from the batch I baked today. :)

Oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (mouthful, I know)

1/2 cup low-fat peanut butter

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Truvia (which is a natural sweetener)

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 cup almond milk

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix all ingredients. I like cookies on the chewier and bigger side, so I make 6 big and thickish cookies out of this batter, but you can make 12 smaller, thinner ones too, if you like.

Bake for 23 minutes. Then let them cool, although I dive into them before they are entirely cool, as they are the yummiest when they are warm.