Jeans and Tees and Travel and Cakes: Here's a Hump Day Treat

I thought I'd be nice and post one of my sister's latest posts from her amazingly delicious blog Fat Bottom! If I haven't said it once, I've said it a billion times, my sister is the most marvelous baker I know and her creations are out of this world.

Here is her latest post, and if you want to take a stab at the delicious dessert, the recipe is included. Check out Fat Bottom and prepare to drool!

oh my gosh! i forgot the bananas!

so... how many of you have heard of the Brooklyn based bakery "Baked"?, or have heard of their extremely popular and fabulous book "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" and the amazing follow up "Baked Explorations"... well if you haven't you have been living under one seriously large rock... these guys really know their goodies...

well this christmas, my hubby who has exceptionally good taste...well, that's because i steer him in the right direction most of the time :)... but anyways, as i was saying... my hubs gave me the latter of these two amazing books... i spent a good portion of the morning drooling over the delicious pictures... and was very excited to return from christmas break to get cracking at some of these recipes... but which recipe to start off with... which one...

well, on the night we returned home from our christmas vacation we happened to be flipping through the tv, and what happened to be on... throw-down with bobby flay... and take a gander at who he was challenging... the fellas from baked... and the dish they were whipping up... banana cream pie... which happens to be one of the hubbys favorite things in the world...

dude... it was like the stars were aligned... and i just had to make this for the hubs... you see, he was about to leave for three months for school out in california (mandatory before he gets underway on the boat we are going to be stationed at next summer)... so for the dessert portion of our new years eve feast i whipped up the baked version of banana cream pie... you see... they cover theirs with a luscious layer of peanut buttery whipped cream...

and let me tell you something... something i hate to admit... I FORGOT THE LAYER OF BANANAS... what a dope!! :)

so now it was just a crunchy cookie crust, layered with a yummy vanilla bean pudding, and topped with the peanut butter whipped cream... and you know what... it was still lip smacking good... i ended up just slicing the bananas and kinda threw em atop all higgety piggety...

ingredients:

for the cookie crust:

6 ounces of vanilla wafer cookies

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons sugar

for the vanilla pudding filling:
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tbsp unsalted butter
4 firm but ripe bananas, peeled, divided
3 tablespoons orange juice, divided

for the peanut butter layer:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
2/3 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
directions:
for the vanilla wafer crust:
1. preheat oven to 350
2. combine all ingredients in processor; blend until mixture resembles moist crumbs
3. transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish and press mixture onto bottom and up sides (not rim) of dish
4. bake crust until golden brown, about 12 minutes, remove from oven; press crust with back of spoon if puffed and cool crust completely

for the vanilla pudding filling:
1. whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan until no lumps remain
2. gradually whisk in cream, then milk
3. add yolks and scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend
4. cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until pudding thickens and boils, about 5 minutes
5. add butter and stir until melted, spread warm pudding in cooled crust and chill until filling is cool, about 1 hour

thinly slice 3 bananas on diagonal, combine banana slices and 2 tablespoons orange juice in medium bowl; toss to coat... transfer banana slices to paper towels and pat dry, arrange enough banana slices in single layer over vanilla custard filling to cover completely

for the peanut butter layer:
1. using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl until smooth
2. beat in vanilla, then peanut butter
3. beat the heavy cream in another medium bowl until firm peaks form, fold large spoonful of whipped cream into peanut mixture to loosen, then fold in remaining cream in 2 additions
4. spread peanut butter layer evenly over bananas then chill at least 3 hours
5. DEVOUR :)