Banana Pudding w/ Chocolate & Walnuts

For Thanksgiving, I was in charge of the making the roasted garlic mash and a dessert. I was a little hesitant with a dessert, since most dessert dishes require baking and I almost always fail at baking. So I log onto Foodnetwork.com for ideas and came across Paula Dean's recipe for 'Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding.' It had good reviews, seemed easy enough, and did not require baking! I followed Paula's recipe, but also incorporated chocolate and walnuts since initially I wanted to make something chocolaty.

(Link: Paula Dean's Recipe)


Ingredients: Semi-Sweet baker's chocolate bar, Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies, 5-8 bananas, instant vanilla pudding, can of condensed milk, package of plain cream-cheese, chopped walnuts, milk, and a tub of frozen whipped topping thawed (not pictured).


1 bag of cookies lines the bottom of the dish. I took the extras and a few more from the 2nd bag and placed them on the sides.


Cut the bananas into coins like pieces, and layer them on top of the cookies.

Add some chopped walnuts.


Microwave two blocks of the chocolate (with instructions on the box) and drizzle on about half (or more depending on how much chocolate you want)


Combine the milk and instant pudding package, mix and let set.


While the pudding sets, combine the condensed milk and cream-cheese, mix well until smooth. Since I don't have an electric mixer, some chopsticks and a lot of muscles will have to do!


By the time the condense milk and cream-cheese are well mixed, the pudding should be set. Combine the two mixtures together, mix.


Add the tub of whipped topping. Stir until thoroughly blended.


Well blended.


Spread all of the mixture onto the bananas.


Another layer of chocolate and walnuts.


Add the last of the cookies on top.

Refrigerate until ready to dig in!

Out of the Box: Turtle Cheesecake Brownies

Memorial Monday was not super exciting. Semi-spring-cleaned the house with the family, napped, complained about the heat, and hung out with Burst of Dori and her family. Got bored so we decided to get into kitchen.

I called on the help of my friend, Betty Crocker, again and we made Turtle Cheesecake Brownies!


You'll need a box of Betty Crocker's Turtle Brownie Mix


Preheat oven and prepare the mix as instructed. Leave the pouch of caramel to the side to use for decorating later.


Using a 12-Cup cupcake pan, fill the cupcake liners half way with brownie mix. Bake and let cool.




While the brownie cools, prepare the No-bake Cheesecake as instructed. No need for the Gramhm cracker crust unless you want to incorporate it in somehow. You can keep it for later use.


Once the brownies have cooled, fill the rest of the liner with the cheesecake mix. Snip a small corner off the caramel pouch and decorate the top of the brownies. Add a halved pecan or walnut and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.


Enjoy!!
Not bad for something that I winged in the spur of the moment.


Dori's watermelon rind salad. Yum!

Taro & Tapioca Pearl Dessert

Easter Sunday, Mom and Phuong put me up to the task of making Che (sweet soup dessert). Mom was busy prepping all the stuff for Bun Thit Nuong and frying up some eggrolls while Phuong made Banh Bot Loc.

First time making this dessert - a few lessons learned for sure!



The pearls can be purchased at your local asian market.

Boil the pearls covered (about 1 cup of pearls to 6 cups of water)for 10 minutes. The centers will still be white - but if you let sit covered as you prepare other components, they will eventually become clear.


Steam cubed pieices of Taro. Then let cool so that they will hold up in the dessert.


Smash ginger root (1/4 cup of it) and dilute it with 1 cup of hot water (the Ginger is optional)


Strain the ginger tea and discard the pulp.


The tapioca pearls will look like this.


Fill a medium-large pot halfway with water. Stir in 1 can of coconut milk, ginger tea, and 2 cups of suger. Bring to boil. Add the cooled Taro. Bring to boil again and then turn off heat.


Gently stir in the pearls and 1 tablespoon of vanilla flavoring. Avoid stirring to much to keep the the Taro from falling apart. Taste, add more sugar if necessary.


Serve.

Agar Jelly Dessert | Rau Cau

I made this last month. Must admit, I was a little lazy to post it and because it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it to.



For each pack of agar agar powder, you'll need 6 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 can of coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and any other flavorings you might like (coffee, strawberry, pandan, etc)


Fill a small pot/sauce pan with the 6 cups of water. Stir in 1 pack of agar power and 1 cup sugar until dissolved. Add 1 can of coconut milk and bring to boil.


Pour half the mixture into your mold and let set at room temperature.


I added 1 teaspoon of strawberry extract and a little red food coloring to the other half and bring it back to a boil. Or which ever flavor you desire.


When the first layer has set, pour the rest of the mixture into the mold. Before it totally sets, I garnish with some strawberries.


I like to eat it cold, so I chill it in the refrigerator. Cut and serve!
My problem: The mold was too small and the first layer was too thick, it didn't set when I added the second layer and the two flavors blended with each other. The coconut milk separated and surfaced to the top (bottom half is a little more translucent). It's pretty though and tasted good. Note to self - next time use large mold or make layers thinner by using multiple molds! hehe