Banana pudding is one of my favorite desserts, and after finding a trifle bowl at a recent rummage sale, I decided to come up with my own version. I used banoffee pie as inspiration, and I think this is the best banana pudding I have ever tasted. If you are unfamiliar with banoffee pie, it is a British classic dessert that consists of a graham cracker or cookie base, a layer of
BANOFFEE PUDDING
INGREDIENTS:
Pudding:
2 1/2 cups whole milk 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 5 large egg yolks 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons cold butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Layering:
1 package (8.8 ounces) Biscoff cookies 1 can (13.4 ounces) dulce de leche 1 cup heavy cream Juice of 1 lemon 4 medium bananas, sliced thinly
Topping:
2 1/2 cups heavy cream 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped chocolate-covered toffee for garnishing
INSTRUCTIONS:
Pudding:
In a large pot, whisk together the milk, sugar, and salt. Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch into a thick paste. Gradually dulce de leche, sliced bananas, a mountain of whipped cream, and a garnish of chocolate shavings. I always felt the pie needed a custard layer, so I knew a banana pudding version would be a worthy experiment. Instead of chocolate shavings, I used chopped chocolate- covered toffee from Canelake’s Candies for a bit of crunch, but you could use toffee bits from the baking aisle instead.
whisk in the heavy cream until smooth. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture and beat well. Repeat twice more, then add the yolk mixture to the pot. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture until it becomes thick and pudding-like, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Press a sheet of plastic wrap over the surface of the pudding. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. If you have any lumps, run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
For Layering:
Coarsely chop the cookies and layer half on the bottom of a trifle dish. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dulce de leche and cream. Spoon half of the mixture over the cookies and spread evenly. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the bananas. Line a ring of bananas upright around the edge of the dish, then lay an even layer of banana slices across the dulce de leche. Top with all of the pudding. Repeat the layers with the remaining cookies, dulce de leche, and bananas.
Topping:
Beat together the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until medium peaks form. Spread over the top layer. Garnish with toffee bits. Serve immediately or chill for 4 hours to soften the cookies.
