Makes 8 individual deserts

Ingredients

3 bananas – chopped

Pepperidge Farms Chessman Cookies

Salted Caramel sauce (recipe below)

Whipped cream (recipe below)

Pastry Cream (recipe below)

Nilla Vanilla cookie Crumble

Pastry Cream

• 2/3 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon banana liquor

Make Pastry Cream

• In a medium bowl,  beat eggs with a fork to combine.  Set aside.
• Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan.  Gradually pour in milk, while whisking, to make a smooth mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils.  Continue to cook and stir one minute.
• Pour several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the eggs and immediately stir well.  Pour warmed egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the hot milk mixture.  Return to a slow boil, and cook one minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in butter and banana liquor.  Set aside to cool.  When the pan has cooled, place in the refrigerator to fully cool.  If desired, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the top surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
• Cut end of a ziplock baggie and fill with cooled mixture.

Nilla Vanilla Wafer Cookie Crumble

• 1 1/2 cups Nilla Vanilla Cookies
• 1/3 cup butter melted

Make Nilla Vanilla Cookie Crumble

• Crush crackers in a Vitamix or food processor
• Pour crumbs, sugar and melted butter into a bowl and , stir until fully combined. 

Whipped Cream 

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

Make Whipped Cream

Mix Whipping cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Cut end of a ziplock baggie and fill with whipped cream.

Salted Caramel Sauce

1. 1 cup sugar
2. 1/4 cup water
3. 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4. 3/4 cup heavy cream
5. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons gray sea salt, crushed
7. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Using a wet pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Boil over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms, about 6 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream, butter and salt. Let the caramel cool to room temperature.

Assemble dessert

• in individual desert cups or 16 ounce canning jars
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumble into individual serving dishes. 
• Add a layer of pastry cream. 
• Add a heaping tablespoon of chopped bananas.
• Top bananas with a layer of whipped cream.
• Add a drizzle of caramel
• Repeat all layers
• Top with more nilla vanilla cookie crumble, drizzle of caramel sauce
• Insert a chessman cookie.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 hours. 

Did you know that most American mis-pronounce Bruschetta? It is actually pronounced brusketta –[bro͞oˈskedə] When I am out and say the word correctly, i am looked at like I am nuts. Even my own family doesn’t think i know how to pronounce it!! This recipe is the best one i have tried!!

• 12 ounces of gourmet tomatoes (mixture of yellow, purple and red – you can use small ones or large ones
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 large cloves of garlic (chopped and minced)
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• Basil to taste (I love fresh basil, so I use about ¼ cup) you can use more or less as you like it
• 1 baguette (I like to use an herbed flavored one)
• Nice aged balsamic vinegar (I used a fig balsamic glaze with this)

1. core and rough chop (or pulse In a Vitamix)  drain in colander for 2 hours (this will allow the seeds and juice to drain off.
2. Add the salt and stir gently (leaving in the colander)
3. Add olive oil and garlic to a small pan and heat over med heat until garlic gives off an aroma. Turn off and let it get to room temperature
4.  Strip basil leaves from the stem and chop roughly into small pieces
5.  Heat oven to 425. Slice the bread at a 45% angle to make the slices longer. .. I like to make them 2 bites long.  (About 1/2 in  wide) Lay on cookie sheet, single layer. Spray with butter flavored spray oil On both sides (makes it crispier than using butter)  Bake until crisp…. Just a few minutes
6. Combine tomato mixture, garlic oil and basil in a small bowl.
7. Spoon over the baked slice of bread
8. Drizzle with balsamic
9. Serve with a nice Oak chardonnay or a dry Pinot grigio……and someone you love!!

I like adding the garlic infused il to the tomato mixture, it completely rounds out the flavor instead of adding it to the bread!! Draining the tomatoes ensures you only have the meaty goodness left and the bread does not get soggy

Enjoy!!!