We are excited to welcome Shanell Townsend to Team UWSN! As our Early Education Specialist, Shanell ensures our Nevada Ready! preschool students and teachers have the tools they need to succeed. She shared what inspired her to join the team, “Being able to share my love for children, their schools, and their education is so rewarding. I love the classroom, but more than anything, I love giving back to the community that I was born and raised in!”
On the weekends, Shanell enjoys visiting Spring Mountain Ranch to enjoy the beautiful desert scenery and exploring the shops at Downtown Summerlin. Also, a fun fact about Shanell is that she is an aspiring children’s book writer. She has written a book series called Mattie’s Tattle Tales and is looking forward to sending out her manuscripts this year for publishing.
Shanell’s favorite recipe is her mom’s signature Southern Banana Pudding. Shanell shared that she has mastered this recipe so she can enjoy this delicious dessert anytime. Learn how you can make Mae’s famous Southern Banana Pudding below!
Mae’s Southern Banana Pudding
Ingredients:
- 10 Bananas
- 2 Boxes Nilla Wafers
- 3 cups milk (any milk besides coconut or almond)
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1.5 cups Sugar
- ¼ cup Flour
- 2 Tbs Nutmeg
- 9×12 Baking Dish
Directions:
- Grab a big size pot.
- Pour in milk and sugar and set the stove to low heat.
- Crack the eggs – separate the whites from the yolks (you will need 2 bowls).
- Whisk the yolks and pour them into the pot of milk and sugar
- Stir and put the stove on medium heat.
- Add nutmeg 1 tablespoon at a time and stir. You will want to taste it to make sure it’s to your liking.
- Once it begins to boil, put the stove back on low heat.
- Now it’s time to layer your baking dish – begin to slice your bananas and place them in the dish covering the bottom.
- Add the cookies to the top of the bananas.
- Check the filling mixture – get a coffee cup and scoop out a cup full of the filling from the pot.
- Slowly add your ¼ cup of flour and whisk. Make sure to smooth all the lumps out.
- Slowly pour that back into the filling. Place stove on medium heat – stirring. The filling will begin to thicken. You may need to add less or more flour depending on how you like your filling.
- Once it has thickened to your liking grab a ladle-type spoon and begin to pour it on top of the first layer.
- Repeat this process until you run out of sauce, bananas, or cookies. If there’s a lot of everything left, make another pan (why not)!
Egg White Topping (Optional):
- Whisk the egg whites in the other bowl you set aside until foamy.
- Pour on top of your banana pudding and place in the oven (325 F) for about 10 mins or until golden brown at the top. Take it out and let it sit for 20 mins. Enjoy!
- If you prefer not to use the egg whites, you can crumple the Nilla Wafer crumbs on top. Let sit for 20 minutes and Enjoy!