Joey's Banana Bread Trifle

 

 

 Here's a little showstopper of a dessert that I recently made for my family's Thanksgiving Dessert Party. It's basically a variation on a banana pudding, but as always, I can't leave well enough alone, and decided to PLUS it. 

 A banana pudding is usually layers of sliced bananas, vanilla pudding, and Nilla wafers. But then I thought, why not make it into a trifle? (Side note, my niece, Natalie, stated that a banana pudding is already a trifle, but one could argue that a trifle has cake in it, or in this case, banana bread.. but that's a debate for another time... )

 Anyway, I still wanted to include the Nilla Wafers, but then decided to guild the lily and push it over the top with crushed Heath Bars as well. BOOM.

 Everyone raved about it! I mean, nothing against all of the other homemade desserts, but this may or may not have been the talk of the dessert table. Just sayin! I'm pretty sure I've just added this to my growing list of "must make" holiday desserts for my family. My nephew, Will, told me I need to post this IMMEDIATELY.. Glad you liked it, William!

 So if you're a fan of banana pudding, you absolutely MUST try it. I PROMISE you'll get rave reviews from your family and friends. It's perfect for your next holiday gathering. Enjoy!

 

  

2 cups cold milk
1 (5oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Crushed Nilla wafers

6-8 ripe bananas, sliced, (or more if needed)

1 homemade or store bought Banana Bread,  cut into cubes

Crushed Heath Bars or Heath Toffee Bits


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until the powder is dissolved and the pudding begins to thicken. 
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. 

Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk into whipped cream. 

Now gently fold the sweetened cream into the pudding. 

You’re ready to layer! 
In a tall sided glass bowl, create layers in this order:

pudding

banana bread cubes

banana slices

crushed Nilla wafers

toffee bits 

Finish by ending with pudding on top.

Garnish with more crushed Nilla wafers and Heath bits. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 



Tips:
When you’re whipping the cream, you want to go to soft peaks or just beyond, but you don’t want to over whip it. Otherwise it’ll break and turn into butter, which is great and all, but that’s not what we’re looking for here!
When layering, I like to make pretty layers around the edges by standing the banana slices up against the side of the bowl before adding the other ingredients. You'll use more bananas, but it makes for a nicer presentation! Plus, like I always say, more is more!

The best way to make sure you come out even when layering is to divide the pudding into thirds, and divide the other ingredients in half. 3 layers of pudding, two layers of everything else, got it?
If you don’t have a tall sided glass bowl, just use any pretty serving bowl. You can even make it in a 9x13 casserole dish. 

Chocolate Cobbler

 

 Are you a chocolate lover?? And do you like ooey gooey decadence? Well, if you are, and you do,  then I think I've found the perfect dessert for you! I think this dessert is possibly the ooiest and gooiest thing I've ever tasted. Not even kidding! Pretend chocolate pudding and a brownie had a baby. THAT's how fudge-tastic this is. SO GOOD!

 Now, I must confess that as much as I love chocolate, sometimes the chocolate dessert isn't always my first choice. Most times I would choose the hot apple pie with caramel....or the carrot cake with cream cheese icing... or the strawberry cheesecake. But sometimes.. well.. what can I say...sometimes, you know you just have to have something chocolate. I'm pretty sure that THIS is the dessert that will hit that spot. The recipe is from Southern Living, and it's absolutely delicious. Simple too!!

 So the next time you're feeling like you need a little rich chewy ooey gooey chocolateness in your life, give this recipe a try. BOOM.

  

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter 

1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup AP flour, plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, divided 

1 cup granulated sugar, divided 

7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, divided 

1/2 cup whole milk 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 1/2 cups boiling water

 Vanilla ice cream 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Place butter in an 11- x 7-inch (2 qt) baking dish. Place dish in oven (the oven does not need to be fully preheated). Heat until butter melts, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. 

 Stir together flour, chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the cocoa in a medium bowl. Stir in milk and vanilla until batter is smooth. Pour batter evenly over melted butter in baking dish (do not stir). 

 Stir together remaining 5 tablespoons cocoa, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2/3 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over batter in baking dish (do not stir). 

Gently pour boiling water over mixture in dish (do not stir). 

Bake in preheated oven until edges are golden brown and mixture is set on top, 30 to 35 minutes. Let it cool for a bit so it will set. Serve cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream. 

Tips:

 OK, so.....when you make this recipe as directed, I KNOW you're gonna be saying "wait, I'm supposed to do what?" Pour the mixture over melted butter without stirring? Is this too much butter? And now boiling water over everything??? But just trust the process. I promise you! It will all work! When you take it out of the oven, it will be very bubbly and boiling and liquid-y. Just let it cool for a bit so it will set.

And yes, that is the correct amount of butter! But don't worry, you're not eating it every day, are you?

 Btw.. a few things... I think next time I might add more chocolate chips, but that's just me. And I may do half boiling water and half coffee next time. Coffee always makes chocolate taste more chocolatey-er.

And finally.... a last minute sub... When I made it...I only had the 2 tbs of cocoa to make the batter, but didn't have the other required 5 tbs..... so I added a box of instant chocolate pudding powder instead, and then backed off the sugar a little . It worked out great, but the cocoa powder, I'm sure, would have given a richer flavor!

 

Creamy Caramel Flan

 This is one of those dishes that I made literally YEARS ago, but then never got around to posting. In fact, it was so long ago, I couldn't even remember which recipe I used. Luckily, my sister Cathy remembered getting the recipe from her friend, Marcy. It's actually quite popular because I've seen it on several websites. Clearly this one is a winner! 
 The custard is silky smooth, the caramel hits all the right sweet and bitter notes that you want and expect from a home made caramel, and the whole thing just SCREAMS special occasion! It's really not difficult to make, so go ahead and try it! I promise you'll impress everyone!




3/4 cup sugar
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
5 large eggs
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


 Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, cook sugar, stirring, until golden.  Pour into a 10" round baking dish, tilting to coat bottom and sides.  Set aside. Put a kettle of water on to boil so it is ready when you need it for the hot water bath. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.  Beat in condensed and evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth.  Pour into caramel coated pan.  Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel.  Place baking dish on towel inside roasting pan and place roasting pan on oven rack.  Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven 50-60 minutes, until center is just set.  Cool one hour on wire rack then chill in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.  To unmold, run a knife around edges of pan and invert on a serving platter. 




Tips:
First and foremost, be VERY careful when melting sugar. It is LAVA HOT, so make sure the little ones are occupied and entertained elsewhere in the house whenever you make caramel.
Instead of just throwing the sugar into a dry pan (which can sometimes burn too quickly), try adding a few tablespoons of water to the sugar. It gives you a little insurance, because the water will take some time to evaporate, and then you can control how dark you want your caramel to be. Instead of stirring the sugar, (which can cause it to crystallize), just swirl the pan around in a circular motion until it turns a lovely dark golden color. Once it starts to darken in color, it goes pretty quickly, so keep a constant eye on it, and immediately remove it from the heat when you reach the perfect caramel color!
 

Dirt Cupcakes

 When my niece, Kristin, was planning her daughter Shyla's first birthday party, she sent me a text and asked if I would make Dirt or cupcakes for the party. (If you're not familiar with Dirt, it's basically a tray of chocolate pudding with crushed oreos and gummy worms on top, made to look like, well, Dirt!) Anyway, she explained that the theme for the party would be 10 Little Ladybugs (since that's Shyla's favorite book), and there would be butterflies and grass and trees and stuff like that. She said the pudding would look more like the theme, but she likes cupcakes better. So I figured, why not do both in one?? And here we are!
 First, I baked the chocolate cupcakes. Then when they were completely cooled, I cut out the centers, filled each one and also swirled the top with chocolate pudding whipped cream, then dipped it in crushed Oreo crumbs. All it needed was a little gummy worm on top, and boom, it's a Dirt Cupcake!! Aren't they adorable? They were just perfect for our beautiful little lady bug on her first birthday, and they were a big hit at the party!
 For the cupcakes, I used Hershey's Double Chocolate Cupcake recipe, and for the pudding, I used the same recipe as I do when I'm making a trifle, only with chocolate instant pudding instead of vanilla. They were such a big hit, I have a feeling I'll be getting many more requests for them in the future!
Happy Birthday, Shyla!
 

Hershey's Double Chocolate Cupcakes

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 sections (1/2 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar , melted

  Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.
Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat with whisk or spoon until batter is smooth. Blend in melted chocolate. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

Chocolate Pudding Whipped Cream

1 3.5 box instant pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 cup cold heavy cream.

Using a mixer (preferably with a whisk attachment), mix the dry pudding with the milk until the powder is dissolved and the mixture becomes very thick. Add the cream and whip until completely combined and fluffy. That's all there is to it!

To make the Dirt Cupcakes:

First, have all of your components ready: the cooled cupcakes, the pudding whipped cream, the Oreo crumbs, and the gummy worms. For the crumbs, I just threw a bunch of Oreos into the food processor and blitzed it until they were completely crushed down to fine crumbs. Then I placed them in a large bowl. The gummy worms were a bit too long for a cupcake, so I cut each one of them in half.
 Using an apple corer, cut a vertical hole in each cupcake, straight through the center all the way down to the bottom of the cupcake, making sure not to cut through the paper at the bottom.
 Fill a ziploc plastic bag with pudding and snip off one of the corners with scissors, then squeeze enough pudding into each cupcake to fill the hole. Finish with a swirl of pudding on top. To cover each one with crumbs, gently but quickly dip the top of each cupcake in the crumbs, being careful not to lose any of the pudding into the bowl of crumbs. It's best if you do it in one quick motion. Place a half of a gummy worm on the top of each.

 Bonus dessert idea! Make individual chocolate trifles!
 Place a little bit of your leftover pudding in the bottom of a few pretty wine glasses. Crumble some of the cut out cupcake centers on top of each. Repeat with a second layer of cream and then more crumbs, then top each glass with a swirl of whipped cream and a bit of shaved chocolate.

Tips:
-Yes, it's correct that there are no eggs in this recipe. Just sayin'!
-This recipe makes 12 cupcakes, but it was no problem to double it.
-Even if you're not planning to do the pudding, Oreos, and gummy worms, this is still a great go-to cupcake recipe. Simply frost them with your favorite frosting and you're good to go!
-Instead of adding a cup of water as the recipe says, I added a cup of strong coffee. It doesn't make it taste like coffee, it just gives it a richer, deeper chocolate flavor.
-If you have another chocolate cupcake recipe that you'd prefer, go for it! The dirt idea will work with pretty much any cupcake recipe.
-Oh and one other thing, if you decide to use a regular cake recipe instead of a cupcake recipe, be sure to adjust your baking time for cupcakes instead of setting your timer as for a cake. Otherwise you'll end up with 4 dozen charcoal briquettes and you'll have to throw them out and start all over. Not that I would know this from experience or anything...

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Cream Cheese Glaze

Once upon a not so long ago, I invited a few friends to dinner. For some reason, I never seem to have a problem finding people to be testers for new recipes! LOL What can I say? I like to try out new recipes to get everyone's opinions, see if anything needs to be tweaked, etc.
 I was thinking I wanted to do a pumpkin bread pudding, but I needed to up the wow factor a little. A sauce, perhaps? a glaze? Hmm.. So I happened to be working with my friend, Mary, and I told her about my dinner menu plans. I said "OK, which one do you think I should do, a caramel sauce or a cream cheese glaze?" She looked at me like I had two heads and said "Um.. hello.. BOTH!" (as if this was the most obvious answer in the world, duh). So I went with it!!!
 Let me just say that I need to buy a vowel because O. MY. GOD. It's possibly one of the most heavenly desserts I've ever made. It's warm and comforting, and creamy and chewy and crunchy and gooey all at the same time! This is ABSOLUTELY gonna be your new favorite pumpkin dessert. I'll even go so far as to say that this might be competition for your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie! There. I said it. I'm not even kidding, it's just that good!
 So thank you, Mary, for suggesting BOTH sauces. LOL That was definitely the wow factor I was looking for! Make this for your next special occasion or holiday dinner and I just bet you'll agree!



For the bread pudding:
2 cups half and half
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups 1/2-inch cubes egg bread (about 10-ounces)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

 For the caramel sauce:
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream

For the cream cheese glaze:
 4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 to 4 tbs milk 

For bread pudding:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes and golden raisins. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle pecans over the top. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. While the pudding is baking, make the caramel sauce and cream cheese glaze.

To prepare caramel sauce:
Whisk brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

To prepare the glaze:
Beat cream cheese until very creamy. Beat in powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla. Add 3 tablespoons milk or enough to make it the right drizzling consistency.

After you remove the bread pudding from the oven, let it cool for about 10-15 minutes, then drizzle with caramel sauce and cream cheese glaze. Serve warm.

Tips:
Obviously, you don't have to do BOTH toppings. You can just do one or the other, but I highly recommend doing both!
Not a fan of nuts and/or raisins? Leave 'em out! 
If you'd like to save a little time, you have a couple options. You can make it up to the point just before you bake it, then cover it and keep it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, then bake it and top it as directed. You can also bake the whole thing as directed, then keep it in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Then pour your topping(s) over it just before you serve. You can heat it up a bit in the oven if you'd like to serve it warm, or just take it out of the fridge in time to serve it at room temperature.

Eclair Cake

 I first saw this recipe when it was posted by a friend of a friend on FB, from a website called Chef In Training. Actually, I think I probably saw this ages ago, but never took note of the recipe, and then completely forgot all about it. This time, however, I was sure to save the recipe and try it, and let me just say that I would like to by a vowel, because O. My. God.... this is one of the most delicious desserts you'll ever taste! Not even kidding.
 The first thing that makes this recipe so awesome is that it requires no baking at all, which makes it the perfect summer dessert for when you don't want to turn on a hot oven. And since there's no baking required, there's no knowledge of baking required, which makes it perfect for the cooking novice. It's also super convenient, because not only CAN you do it ahead, you MUST do it ahead. So it gives you plenty of time to get everything else ready for your event.
 Now, when you first look at the recipe, you're gonna think "wait, where's the cake part?" Well, tbh, it's not really a cake. But here's the thing.. The graham crackers are layered between fluffy mounds of vanilla cream, and they get all nice and soft so you can cut through them, just like a cake. It's kind of like when you dip a graham cracker into a glass of milk and it gets all soft and yummy, know what I mean? That's why you MUST do it ahead! The graham crackers need time to soak up all the velvety yumminess. I made this for the gang and it was GONE in literally minutes. True story! I absolutely promise you there won't be any leftovers.
You simply MUST try it!!

Cake:
2 (3.4 oz) packages Vanilla Instant Pudding mix, dry
3½ cups whole milk
12 oz. cool whip
2 (14.4) oz packages graham crackers

Frosting:
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar


For the cake:
Blend milk and vanilla pudding packets for about 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip.
In a 9x13 pan, layer graham crackers to cover entire bottom of pan. You may need to cut and shape the crackers to fit nicely.
Pour half of pudding/cool whip mixture on top and level.
Put another layer of graham crackers to cover entire surface. Cut and shape crackers accordingly.
Put the second half of pudding/cool whip mixture on top and level.
Put the final layer of graham crackers on top with bumpy side down. This will help the top look more smooth when you go to put the frosting on top. Once again, cut and shape crackers accordingly to avoid pits and cracks.

For the frosting:
Microwave butter and milk just enough so that they are melted together. You do not need to boil it. Add cocoa and powdered sugar and blend together. This will be a runnier frosting/glaze. Pour over top of graham crackers and smooth out nicely.
Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares and serve.

Tips:
One thing that absolutely helped in assembling this dessert was using a pan with sharply squared off corners. That made it easy to fit the graham crackers in. And you should definitely cut the crackers to fit. This helps mostly with the top layer. Yes, you're covering it with a chocolate glaze, but you'll still be able to see the crackers underneath and you want it to be a nice even layer. And if you like a LOT of chocolate glaze, go ahead and double it!!  I certainly won't judge you.

Stove Top Rice Pudding

Here's an easy and delicious dessert to make when your oven is otherwise occupied. It's a simple recipe using simple ingredients. Sometimes those are the best ones, don't you think?

5 cups whole milk
2/3 cup long grain white rice or short-grain white rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, rice, and salt. Place saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender (about 25 minutes). To prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan, stir the mixture frequently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
When the rice is tender, remove from heat and add the sugar and ground cinnamon. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens, about 10 minutes. If you prefer a thicker pudding, continue to cook and stir until it reaches the desired consistency. Keep in mind, though, that it will continue to thicken as it cools. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. Serve warm or chilled.


Tips:
-For an even richer pudding, substitute half of the milk with half and half.
-If your pudding has become too thick, just add a little milk, a tablespoon at a time, to loosen it up a little.
-If you like raisins, go ahead and add about a cup when you add the vanilla. Also feel free to add other flavorings in addition to the vanilla such as coconut or rum extract. Yum!!

Liberty Squares

July 4th just wouldn't be the same without a BBQ. In my family, as with most holidays, everyone chooses a different something to bring, and we wind up with a fabulous spread. I always like to bring something patriotically colorful. In the past I've done a Red White and Blueberry Trifle and also a Raspberry Pretzel Delight. Here's another red white and blue dessert that is as simple as it is rich and creamy and delicious.
Hope you like it!


Crust:
12 tbs. chilled butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar

Filling:
3 pkg (8oz ea) softened cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 pkg (5oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 pint fresh blueberries
12 large fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350F.
To make crust, sift together flour and sugar. Using two knives, cut butter into sifted mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. If you have a food processor, it's easiest just to throw everything in with a metal blade and pulse until it is well combined. Press firmly into an 9" x 13" baking pan and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely. In the meantime, make the filling.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add vanilla extract. Add dry pudding mix. Mix well. Gently fold in blueberries. Spread filling over cooled crust. Refrigerate several hours or overnight until set. Cut into 24 squares. Slice each strawberry in half going right through the stem. Place a strawberry half, cut side down, on top of each square.

Tips:
Use any flavor of pudding you like. Be creative! A white chocolate pudding would make your squares a true red, white, and blue. A lemon pudding would also work beautifully. If you like raspberries instead of strawberries, go for it! You could even add flavored extracts, such as lemon, orange, almond, or coconut in addition to the vanilla.
Oh, and one other thing...
Whenever I make any kind of squares, I like to remove the whole batch from the pan in one piece, which makes it easier to cleanly cut it into perfect squares. This recipe, however, doesn't lend itself to doing that.
So, here's the solution: Make a sling!
Before you bake your crust, place a large piece of parchment paper in the pan, making sure you have several inches hanging over each side. Press your crust over the paper and proceed with the recipe as usual. When you're ready to cut it into squares, use the parchment paper to lift it right out of the pan onto a flat surface. Now you're ready to cut it into perfectly perfect squares! Oh, be sure to run your knife under hot water before you make each cut. It really makes a difference. Presentation is everything!

Rice Pudding

Many people in my family have signature desserts. They're the desserts that everyone is asked to bring to every family event because they're SO good and because it just wouldn't be a family event without them. If you're looking for Cherry Cheese Pie, then you should talk to Maureen. If it's Carrot Cake you want, I'm your man. And if you're in the mood for Rice Pudding, without a doubt, your "go to" person is definitely my sister-in-law, Marianne. She's the authority! And her Rice Pudding is the best you'll ever taste!
Thanx Mare!

1/2 gallon whole milk (8 cups)
1 cup rice, Carolina long grain
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Remove milk mixture from heat. Add egg mixture to milk mixture slowly, whisking while you add so the eggs won't scramble. Let cool. (It will thicken as it cools.) Add cinnamon if desired.

Tips from Mare:
I've had a few times when it didn't thicken up so I put it back on the stove for a few minutes at simmer and just kept stirring it. Most times that will do the trick.
When making the milk and rice mixture, I think the key is to let it come to a fast boil (stir often) over medium heat and then once it comes to a fast boil, lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. I start mixing the eggs, sugar and vanilla when the milk mixture has simmered 25 minutes, figuring that it will take me 5 minutes to mix everything up. Also, mine NEVER thickens when I make a double batch.

Tip from Joey:
If you add the egg mixture too quickly to the hot milk mixture, you'll end up with scrambled eggs. To prevent this from happening, you should temper the egg mixture first. This simply means to gradually warm the egg mixture by slowly adding some of the hot milk mixture in a few small amounts. After you add a little of the hot milk to the eggs, then you're free to stir the two mixtures together and your eggs will be less likely to scramble.