Tag Archives: Entertaining

Banana Pudding with Peanut Butter Cream

March 16, 2016 Keep It Sweet 4 Comments

Classic homemade banana pudding is even better when topped with fresh peanut butter whipped cream!

Ever since our trip to Charleston (yes, I really owe you a post on that!), I’ve been craving banana pudding like crazy. On our last night of vacation, we ordered dinner to the room. I had ratatouille with a fried egg (for the second time on the trip!) and the most amazing banana pudding for dessert! It was made with caramelized bananas and… wait for it… peanut butter whipped cream. All of the deliciousness was crammed into a cute little jar and despite how full I was, I ate every last bite.

I’ve made peanut butter whipped cream before and was already in love. Banana pudding with peanut butter whipped cream ended up being an amazing twist on a classic southern dessert.

So when we had our friends over for dinner a few weeks ago, I was really excited for an excuse to make an entertaining-worthy dessert like banana pudding. Cookies are great and everything, but I can make them any day of the week. Banana pudding? It deserves to be a special party treat.

While I didn’t caramelize the bananas (I have to be picky about where I use my time!), the dessert was every bit as good as I remember it being while we were away. The from-scratch vanilla and rum infused pudding was so luscious, creamy and indulgent. The thinly sliced bananas and softened cookies complimented it beautifully. And the peanut butter whipped cream? Let’s just say that when we indulge in a special dessert, we really do it right around here. Everything worked.

5.0 from 1 reviews

The Ultimate Banana Pudding with Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

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Classic homemade banana pudding is even better when topped with fresh peanut butter whipped cream!

Author: Lauren Lilling

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

Vanilla Custard

3⁄4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup (35 grams) cornstarch
1g (1/4 teaspoon) salt
90g (6 large) egg yolks at room temperature
830 milliliters (3 1⁄2 cups) milk, preferably whole
28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, sliced
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) vanilla bean paste
15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) dark rum (optional but recommended)

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

237 milliliters (1 cup) heavy whipping cream, cold
20g (2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
75 grams (3 tablespoons) creamy peanut butter (do not use “natural”)
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
8 medium-sized glasses (~240 milliliters or at least 1 cup each)

40-50 vanilla wafers

3 just ripe (firm) bananas, thinly sliced

Instructions

See notes on preparation timing below

Vanilla Custard

In a large heavy-duty pot, whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt; drizzle in milk and whisk continuously while pouring
Once combined, place pot on stove over medium heat and stir continuously as mixture comes to a simmer; once simmering, continue to stir and cook until thick, about five minutes
Remove from heat and immediately whisk in butter, vanilla and rum; place custard in a heat-proof airtight container overnight in refrigerator before continuing with recipe

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream

When ready to make parfaits, prepare whipped cream
Place all ingredients into the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment
Beat on medium-high speed for two to three minutes or until stiff peaks form

To put it all together

Place two cookies on the bottom of each glass; top cookies with about ½ cup of custard; follow custard with 6 thin banana slices and then three additional cookies; top each with remaining custard (should be about ½ cup per glass) and then whipped cream (1/4 –1/3 cup per glass)
Top with additional wafer cookie just before serving if desired

Notes

I highly recommend making pudding the night before serving (it needs time to set) and prepping the parfaits several hours before enjoying. This will ensure that the pudding has set and the cookies have time to soften. If covered well with seran, parfaits can be stored up to 24 hours before serving.
Custard from Smitten Kitchen

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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

You might also like:

Peanut Butter S’mores Parfaits

Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

Peppermint Chocolate Pavlova Parfaits

Blog, Recipes

How to Make Macarons and Some Super Bowl Ideas

January 28, 2013 Keep It Sweet 22 Comments

This past Saturday, Matt and I actually had a few hours with nothing on the agenda and I actually had energy, shocking! So I finally experimented with something I’ve been wanting to try forever, macarons!

I’ve loved macarons since I first tried them at the famous La Duree in Paris almost six years ago.

(Oh to be 22….)

Since then, I’ve tried a range of not-so-good specimens to just perfectly light and crisp shells sandwiched with creamy decadent fillings (this girl’s macarons are not a joke!).

Famous for their difficulty and challenges, I was terrified that my first attempt would be a failure. However, when I saw Annie’s step-by-step instructions for a fail-proof Italian method, I knew I had to try it. Plus, Matt said he would help so I knew there was another person to help make some judgment calls.

To keep things simple, I just used made a plain shell. I really wanted to get the hang of a basic recipe before playing around with it and potentially messing with the structure. Since I had some basic chocolate buttercream on hand, it worked for the filling. Next time, however, I’ll definitely try something more exciting like red velvet, peanut, or S’mores (or one of the other bazillion flavors I have pinned). I would also prefer a lighter swiss meringue buttercream instead. I think it would complement the macaron texture better.

All in all, I was thrilled with a pretty successful first attempt! I think it helped that there was almost no humidity and I really took my time. While I am clearly not an expert after that, I thought I’d share some tips that I used and / or will use going forward.

Tips for Making Macarons:

Equipment

Definitely make sure you have a kitchen scale and candy thermometer, this is the kind of recipe you want to be precise with
Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are really clean before you start, any grease will prevent the egg whites from forming a meringue (I wipe the equipment with white vinegar before starting)

Ingredients

Choose fresh ingredients; my almond meal was at the almost stale state and while I have a very sensitive palate, I can definitely tell that something is slightly off in flavor
Speaking of almond meal, I used Trader Joes; I think next time I’d look for some that is finer or pulse it through a food processor a few times to eliminate any interference with the clean, crisp texture

Process

Read the directions a few times to make sure you understand how each step works; setting up your mise en place certainly helps
Be patient! Almost every time I make some form of meringue I get paranoid that it won’t work, it just takes a few minutes more than I expect
Take your time folding the meringue into the almond meal paste, it is very delicate
Also take your time as you pipe your shells, that way yours might actually end up all the same size (mine definitely range!)
Be careful removing the shells from your parchment paper or slipat as to not break them

Storage

Store macarons for several days in refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer; bring to room temperature before serving

Even though it felt like a lot of work at the time, now I’m so excited to make them again. Now that I know what the batter is supposed to feel and look like, I’ll be a lot more confident for the next go around.

Oh, and in case you are looking for some fun ideas for your Super Bowl snacking on Sunday, check out some of the links below!

You should probably hurry to place a last minute order for the Smoked Sea Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fun Pick-up Desserts for Super-Bowl

My “Party Apps” Pinterest board has a ton of great recipes

Super Bowl Party Ideas from Young Married Chic (also check out these push-up pops!)

Super Bowl Recipes from Baked by Rachel

Upscale Party Food ideas from the Novice Chef

14 Super Bowl Recipes from Incredients Inc.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Uncategorized

WifeStyle Conference

September 18, 2011 Keep It Sweet 1 Comment

Yesterday was my first blog-related conference experience! WifeStyle turned out to be a wonderful way to meet women of all ages interested in anything from cooking to fashion to party planning. It was also inspiring to meet so many entrepreneurial women. Businesses like MeebleMail (for prettying up your email) and The Monogrammed Martini were represented by the women who started them. I was also thrilled to get some time to hang out with a blog friend turned real life friend, Kris. Yes, she is just as nice and adorable as she appears on her blog.

The event was planned and hosted by Coryanne of Housewife Bliss and Mindy of The Gracious Girl. Both women were focused on making the women feel comfortable and welcome and making sure everyone had a good time. We also got some great etiquette pointers from Mindy. I actually am pretty well-versed in the proper dining etiquette, but did learn a couple of new things. Did you know that when you eat bread, you should only break off a bite-sized piece at a time? Then, when buttering your bread, you should only butter that little piece. Who knew?

Before lunch, we got some great cooking tips from Chef Tageré. I was lucky enough to experience the chef’s delicious cooking two days in a row, so I welcomed any kitchen tips that she had.

And then lunch… the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

Oh, and did I mention there was plenty to drink? These ladies know how to throw a party! I have to admit I didn’t try these, but they smelled amazing! I bet the chocolate varieties would make a great drink!

Thanks to Van Gogh I even got to take home a cute little sample bottle of blueberry.

Speaking of alcohol, the Cocktail Deeva gave us some great tips on stocking the bar and preparing drinks for a party. These roasted plums soaked in vodka are such a great idea for the base of a martini!