Recipe: Banana Pudding Trifle Style

I love banana pudding, but it doesn’t feel quite dressy enough as a holiday dessert. Layer it in a pretty bowl, call it trifle and it’s right at home at the most festive holiday gathering. And since there’s not much fruit in season now, all the more reason. (And have you checked out how easy it is to make?)

Banana Trifle

• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• Pinch salt
• 2 cans (12 ounces each) evaporated milk, plus 1 cup whole milk to equal 4 cups
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, divided
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 box (12 ounces) vanilla wafers
• 6 bananas peeled and sliced, plus another ¼ for garnish

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small Dutch oven or soup kettle. Just before adding milk, whisk in egg yolks, and then turn heat to medium and vigorously whisk in milk. Continue to whisk occasionally and more frequently as it heats, until mixture boils and thickens to pudding consistency; remove from heat; stir in 4 teaspoons of the vanilla. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface to keep a skin from forming; cool to tepid.

When ready to assemble, whip cream with remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla to soft peaks. Reserving 12 vanilla wafers and the ¼ banana arrange a portion of ingredients in 4 layers in a 3-quart decorative bowl in the following order: vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding, whipped cream. Line bowl circumference with remaining wafers, standing them up and pressing them into the pudding. Cover and refrigerate until cookies soften, a couple of hours and up to overnight. When ready to serve, garnish with bananas.

Serves: 12

Per serving:
528 calories, 61g carbohydrates, 9g protein, 28g fat (15g saturated), 137mg cholesterol, 2g dietary fiber, 205mg sodium