Toffee Banana Pudding

This is a traditional banana pudding, with the inclusion of toffee bits in the layers. Banana and toffee are a fantastic combination. Shake it up a bit and serve it parfait style, like above.

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;

INGREDIENTS, continued

1 11 ounce box vanilla wafers

4 ounces (1/2 of an 8 ounce bag) Heath English Toffee Bits or crushed Heath candy bars

In a large, unheated heavy saucepan, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir to fork 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 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 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. At this point, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow the custard to cool slightly.

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.

At this point, you can top the dessert with baked meringue, or top with fresh chantilly cream (lightly sweetened whipped cream).

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 cling film 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. Obviously, I don't top the dessert with meringue if it is in non-heatproof glassware.

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, and said "just put it in a casserole dish, a lot less hassle...."🤓.