This delectable banana pudding recipe includes layers of rich toffee. The toffee creates a creamy layer of salty caramel richness! Shake it up a bit and serve this dessert parfait style, as shown above.
TOFFEE BANANA PUDDING RECIPE:
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (Note - if you do not include the toffee bits in this recipe, increase the sugar here to 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 large bananas - sliced on the bias, like pictured below;
1 11 ounce box vanilla wafers
4 ounces (1/2 of an 8 ounce bag) Heath English Toffee Bits or crushed Heath candy bars
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large, unheated heavy saucepan, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir with a whisk to sift. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and milk. Pour the liquid into the large unheated saucepan with the flour mixture. Whisk thoroughly to blend ingredients.
Place the saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, whisking the mixture as it begins to warm. Ensure you whisk well as you scrape the base of the pan, so the custard doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. Cook, whisking often, until the custard is thickened and smooth. This can take anywhere from 8-10 minutes, be vigilant about stirring, because as it begins to thicken, after seeming it never will, it will continue to thicken quickly.
Once the banana pudding thickens, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow the custard to cool slightly.
ASSEMBLY:
In a baking dish or trifle pan:
In a large baking dish (I prefer a glass trifle dish), spread out a layer of vanilla wafers.
Pour 1/3 of the custard over the vanilla wafers. Add a layer of cut bananas. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of toffee bits over the bananas. Repeat this two times. Top with chantilly cream (lightenly sweetened whipped cream) or browned meringue.
For a banana pudding parfait, as pictured above:
Use a tall drinking glass (I've used a simple pilsner beer glass), and layer in the order I've described above, topping the banana puddiing with whipped cream instead of browned meringue.
Chef Paula's Tip:
For the best flavor, my experience has taught me to put the dessert (minus the meringue or chantilly cream topping) in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, for the flavors and textures to meld. Place a layer of plastic wrap on top of the dessert surface before letting it "rest" in the refrigerator so it doesn't dry out or form a film. Then, right before serving, I remove film, add the chantilly cream, or top with and brown the meringue. Make sure the pudding is in a non-heatproof glassware container if you choose to top the banana pudding with a browned meringue!
I prefer to build this dessert in individual glass containers, or in a glass trifle dish, where you can see the layers. I feature that above in an oversized pilsner glass for a Father's Day segment I'm doing. I laugh at how my own father would have looked at It, shaken his head and chuckled with bewilderment, and admiration, saying "just put it in a casserole dish, a lot less hassle...." (;
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