Banana Pudding Bars

The bars have a vanilla wafer cookie crust which is topped with creamy vanilla custard and layered with sliced bananas. The bars are then topped with freshly whipped cream and garnished with more bananas and crushed wafer cookies. Easy dessert that everyone will enjoy..Perfect for a springtime dessert..

INGREDIENTS

Vanilla custard/filling:

• ¾ cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1½ cups whole or 2% milk
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Vanilla wafer crust:

• 1½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs (from about 40-50 cookies)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Whipped cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream (very cold)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Assembly:

• 3-4 bananas, sliced
• additional crushed vanilla wafers

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the vanilla custard:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and milk to a simmer, whisking several times. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks until combined. Once the milk is simmering, slowly add about a cup of the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly (this will help bring up the temperature of the eggs without scrambling them). Once the cup of milk is incorporated, slowly pour the entire egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking while you pour. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, and boil for about 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken. Remove from the heat and whisk in vanilla extract and butter.
2. Pour the custard into a large bowl. If you’re worried about lumps, you can set a mesh sieve over the bowl and pour the mixture through the sieve, using a rubber spatula to lightly press the custard through. Allow the custard to cool slightly at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for several hours, until chilled completely. The custard will thicken as it chills.

Make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with foil, leaving a couple inches of overhang on two sides. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, melted butter and salt. Once thoroughly combined, press the crumbs into the bottom and half an inch up the sides of your prepared pan. I use the back of a measuring cup to help evenly press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

For Assembly:

1. Beat 1 cup heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
2. Spoon* half of the vanilla custard into the prepared crust and add 2 sliced bananas on top of the custard. Spoon the remaining custard on top of that. Top with whipped cream and garnish with additional sliced bananas and crushed vanilla wafer cookies.
3. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

NOTES

*If your custard thickened too much in the fridge, you can whisk in a splash of milk to thin it out slightly. Whisk vigorously to help it maintain it’s creaminess. Don’t thin it out too much, as you want the bars to hold their shape.

recipe from:http://celebratingsweets.com/2014/03/17/creamy-banana-pudding-bars-2/