Banana Pain, but do a showstopper in layers and dishes in the crowd

There is something about a trifle that gives you the impression that you have been given a first row ticket for a dessert theater: layers of cake, cream and fruit so high that they almost require applause. Banana bread has its own type of star: soft breadcrumbs, a butter banana flavor and a cinnamon whisper that strikes like a hug. It is therefore logical to let these two dessert dessert icons share the scene, stack cubes of banana bread with silky sugar paste, jammy caramelized bananas, gingersnap crumbs and a whipped cream to form a trifle of banana bread that was plastic.

This is the kind of showstopper that your favorite aunts and uncles have proudly transported in shaping meals, nestled in oversized glass bowls where each layer was fully exposed. But it is just as perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon, eaten directly from the refrigerator with a long spoon, or as a grand finale at a dinner, when the service spoon scrapes the bottom of the dish before anyone who is ready to finish.

The sugar paste cream that holds it

Because a large part of the attraction of this trifle comes from its creamy and luxurious layers, Tricia Manzanero Studenman, from our Birmingham, in Alabama, Kitchen test, standard vanilla pudding for a deeply flavored brown sugar pastry cream in its version below. The brown sugar lends hot, almost maple notes that echo caramelized bananas and complete the sweetness of banana bread.

To obtain a smooth and stable custard, Tricia begins by whipping the egg yolks and an entire egg with brown sugar, flour and cornstarch, then tempers the mixture with hot milk to avoid curding. As with any thickened pastry cream with cornstarch, bringing it to a complete and bubbling boil is essential – not just to activate the starchs for thickening but also to deactivate amylase, an enzyme in the egg yolks which would otherwise decompose starch and leave the cream removable over time.

Butter and vanilla are stirred off the heat for richness and aroma, then the cream is tense to ensure a smooth and silky and cooled texture with plastic film pressed directly against its surface to prevent skin from forming. An intelligent tip that Tricia uses for faster cooling is to filter the pastry cream directly in a 9 by 13 inch mold; Crush it in a thin layer and even help it relax much faster than in a bowl. Once the pastry cream has completely refrigerated, Tricia folds in a whipped cream, which gives it a light and airy texture.

Why should you caramelize your bananas

For the fruit layer in this tricker, Tricia looks at the theme of banana bread with – what else? – More bananas. But fresh slices had a taste for a note next to all the other lush flavors, so it gives them rapid caramelization treatment. We often turn to the caramelization of bananas in our banana recipes – for example, banana oat muffins and Leah banana bread. This step concentrates the flavor of the bananas, deepens their softness and adds a layer of complexity, while softening them to a cutlery, almost confident texture. Brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt cook in a pan, until the butter melts and the mixture begins to boil. The bananas are added to the frothy mixture and are cooked until tenderness, absorbing the butter caramel and developing a rich and spicy flavor. Once off the heat, a touch of vanilla completes their warmth and depth.

Assembly and service

Once the components are ready, it is time for great performance. The banana bread cubes go up on stage first, enjoying the spotlight (and finally, pastry cream). A swoosh of brown breaking cream follows, then a fall of candied caramelized bananas that shine as if they knew they are stage thieves, garnished with crushed gingersnap cookies who add a crisp and warmly spicy contrast. Superimpose everything, ending with a cloud of whipped cream – a light and creamy crown that shows the dramatic strata of the trifle through the glass. Garnish with a last development of pacans and serve it as the trifle are supposed to be: with friends, family and nothing too big.

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