Banana Peanut Butter Layered Dessert

We've been getting slightly over-ripe bananas lately, so we froze most of them, but kept out a couple of bunches for me to bake with. So I made up another creation today ;). They haven't taste-tested this yet.

This is it at the last layer, when I started putting the fluffy stuff on it.

The most time-consuming part of this is making the cookies (that are baked in a pan), pudding and sauce, but still it didn't seem like it took that long.

*Note: You could add chocolate chips to the vanilla cookies (since it is actually my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe), that would be a great addition. If you were going for the chocolate twist, you could even make some of the pudding with cocoa. I didn't do either of these because we are out of chocolate chips and cocoa.

Banana Peanut Butter Layered Dessert (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)
Hanunyah Creation


3 bananas

Vanilla Cookies:
1/2 cup lard
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, if not corn-free)
1 1/4 cups rice flour

Peanut Butter Cookies:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar (you can use white)
1 egg

Pudding:
1/2 cup brown sugar (you can use white)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (if not corn-free, 3 tablespoons cornstarch)
2 cups goat milk
3 tablespoons peanut butter

Caramel Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup lard

Fluffy Topping:
5 egg whites
1/4 cup brown sugar (you could use white)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. For the Vanilla Cookies: Cream the sugar and lard until fluffy. Add the egg and beat. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Spread in an 8x8 inch baking pan and bake for 10 minutes (?), until golden brown on top. Cool, and cut into small squares.

2. For the Peanut Butter Cookies: Mix all the ingredients together. Spread and bake in an 8x8 inch pan for 10 minutes (?), until golden brown on top. Cool, and cut into small squares.

3. For the Pudding: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk a little at a time so the mixture does not have any dry lumps. Place in the microwave, and cook for 3 minutes on high. Stir, then cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring between cooking times for 2 to 4 minutes, or until thick. Divide in half. Leave one bowl plain, and add 3 tablespoons peanut butter to one bowl. Cool, and set aside until ready to use.

4. For the Caramel Sauce: Bring sugar and milk to a boil over medium-hight heat. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add lard. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then beat until thick. Set aside until ready to use.*

5. For the Fluffy Topping: With the mixer on high speed, beat the 5 egg whites until frothy. While still beating, slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

6. To Assemble: Slice up 1 1/2 bananas in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Put a layer of the vanilla cookie squares, and pour the peanut butter pudding over it. Slice another 1 1/2 banana over those layers, put a layer of peanut butter cookie squares over it, and pour the other bowl of pudding over it. Pour some caramel sauce over it, and top with the fluffy egg white mixture.

Notes:
*I only used about half of the caramel sauce, so if you have extra store in the refrigerator and make this again or use for something else.


~ Hanunyah