Banana Pudding

Name: Banana Pudding
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 h 15 min
Total time: 11 h
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 cups 3.25% milk, divided; 3 large egg yolks; 1/3 cup cornstarch; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped; 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed; 1 350-g pkg shortcake cookies; 2 1⁄2 cups 35% cream, divided; 4 bananas, sliced into 1/2-in. rounds, plus 1 banana, halved lengthwise; 2 tbsp granulated sugar; 2 44-g bars chocolate-covered sponge toffee, chopped

Prep Time45 mins
Total Time11 hrs
Makes8 servings

Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Sage Dakota, Prop Styling by Andrea McCrindle.

This ridiculously delicious dessert is the perfect marriage of from-scratch and store bought components. After chilling, the cookies become soft enough to scoop, but still have a bit of bite.

Pudding

3 cups 3.25% milk, divided
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 350-g pkg shortcake cookies
2 1⁄2 cups 35% cream, divided
4 bananas, sliced into 1/2-in. rounds, plus 1 banana, halved lengthwise
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 44-g bars chocolate-covered sponge toffee, chopped

Instructions

Pudding: Whisk 1⁄4 cup milk with yolks and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. Mix remaining 2 3⁄4 cups milk with 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla seeds in a saucepan set over medium-high. Bring to a simmer, about 5 min. Slowly pour milk into yolk mixture, whisking until combined.
Pour mixture back into saucepan, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, 1 min. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Scrape into a large bowl, then cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until room temperature, 2 hrs.
Assembly: Break each cookie in half crosswise. Set aside. Whisk chilled pudding until smooth (it will be thick). Whisk 1 cup cream in a bowl until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 min. Fold cream into pudding with a spatula.
Spread 1⁄4 of pudding mixture over bottom of a 4-litre trifle dish. Arrange 1/3 of cookies overtop, then 1/3 of sliced bananas. Repeat, ending with pudding. Cover with wrap and refrigerate until cookies are tender, at least 8 hrs or up to 2 days.
Whisk remaining 1 1⁄2 cups cream with 2 tbsp sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form, about 2 min. Spread over pudding. Sprinkle with sponge toffee and garnish with halved banana. Serve immediately.

Serving tip

For a different look, arrange in a 9 x 13-in. pan using 1/3 of the pudding and 1⁄2 of the cookies and bananas per layer.

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