From the menu of: The Brickery

For the AJC

Q: I had dinner at The Brickery Grill and Bar in Sandy Springs recently and ordered the banana pudding for dessert. It was the best banana pudding I have eaten. Please ask them for the recipe for this fabulous dessert so others may enjoy it. Thanks. -- Judy Syna, Brookhaven

A: Sally Alterman, owner of The Brickery Grill and Bar, was happy to share her recipe for this dessert that's been a special offering since January. It was kitchen manager Dwight Jackson who perfected the recipe.

Alterman told me the pudding's individual portions are part of what makes this a popular dessert. "It's a beautiful presentation rather than a blob in a bowl," she said. As is often the case, the serving at the restaurant will be a little larger than what you'll have with this recipe.

"This pudding can be served directly from the oven, at room temperature or chilled. It is a personal preference," she said. She doesn't recommend preparing it more than one day ahead of serving though, since the bananas begin to brown and the meringue can develop drops of moisture and begin to get sticky.

The Brickery Grill and Bar’s Banana Pudding

Hands on: 35 minutes Total time: 35 minutes Serves: 12

1/2 (12-ounce) box vanilla wafers, divided

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Dash salt

3 cups whole milk

5 eggs, separated

3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 cups sliced bananas (about 4 medium)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 12 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups on a rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 whole wafer in bottom of each.

In a double boiler, make custard by whisking together 3/4 cup sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in milk, egg and yolks. Heat mixture over boiling water for 10 minutes or until thickened, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer, make meringue by whipping egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to beat until when beaters are lifted from the bowl, the egg whites form peaks which do not tilt over. Set aside.

Fold banana slices and remaining wafers into custard. Divide custard evenly between prepared custard cups. Divide meringue evenly over custard. Put baking sheet into oven and bake until meringue browns, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 day.

Per serving: 212 calories (percent of calories from fat, 21), 3 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 96 milligrams sodium.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to svanatten@ajc.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.