Rating: 💋 💋 💋 😘
So, last Friday turned out to be quite a big day for me.
For starters, it was always a big day on my calendar because I had a sister date at the theatre after work We went to see Betrayal on Broadway and it was the funniest examination of infidelity I've seen. I didn't even know you could even make that topic funny. Great play, highly recommend.
Before that though, I was given a wonderful surprise at work. Due to some shifted roles on our team, my hours were updated, so now I start work a little bit earlier, but I get out at six o'clock, rather than seven. This is positively thrilling. Do you realize what this means? I get to eat dinner at home now, on a real plate, sitting at a real kitchen table. Good bye, work kitchen microwave! Good bye Tupperware!
I cannot express to you enough how much joy this brings me. Oh my God, It's a whole new world, and I'm skipping through it like Mary Poppins on her jolly holiday.
Not even embarrassed I said that. I am just too happy.
Lastly, as a kind of Hooray It Is Friday celebration, my coworker Oscar treated me to a banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery. I told him not to, but he is the sweetest guy and he insisted. I had a cupcake from Magnolia three years ago, after an amazing night in the audience of Seth Meyers, and I remember the cupcake being delectable, but I hadn't gone since. I had heard that the banana pudding was their signature menu item, so I was eager to try it.
For context, not only had I never had the banana pudding from Magnolia, I had never had banana pudding, period. I don't think I have ever had any kind of pudding outside of those store-bought Jell-O cups, and it has been a while since that even. I had no idea what to expect.
Yeah, it was fantastic. Definitely wouldn't recommend it if you don't like bananas, because the flavor is pretty strong. Unlike fruit-flavored candies that sometimes taste nothing like their fruit counterparts (see: pink 'strawberry' Starbursts and anything grape-flavored ever), this is real banana. It is not overwhelming though. The banana is perfectly sweet, capturing the peak of ripeness. The pudding itself is whipped to a thick, creamy perfection. I hate when there are gross chunks mottling an otherwise whipped texture (so any and all mashed potatoes should take note of that in light of the impending Thanksgiving holiday). Fortunately, that was not a problem at all here. Whether they use real bananas or flavoring, it is all smoothly pureed so you don't have to worry about any sneaky banana phlegm ruining a spoonful. Better yet, the Nilla wafers are soft and sweet, so they blend into the banana cream rather than bringing your eating experience to a screeching halt with a dry, unsuspected cookie. Instead, the cream soaks into the cookie to moisten it without become soggy, and the vanilla of the cookie complements the banana's flavor for a nice, sweet snack. A small cup was the perfect bridge between lunch and dinner.
I am still more of a cupcake girl, just by nature of my dessert preferences, but Magnolia definitely whips up a banana pudding to the highest standard. It is a must-try if you're hanging around midtown Manhattan. I, for one, really need to take advantage of my office's prime location and pop into the bakery more myself. If all goes well, you can expect a cupcake taste test experience from me soon!
XX,
MK
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