We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Once upon a time, around 1920 or so, a miraculous combination of banana sweetness and crunchy vanilla cookie burst into the consciousness of American dessert lovers. The miracle dessert we’re talking about is the layered wonder that is banana pudding with vanilla wafers, of course. Given that it’s not only a delicacy, but also a dessert that you don’t need to cook to enjoy, it’s no wonder that it has become a staple appreciated by households. The treat took another step forward in 1968, when the Jell-O company released a cookbook that taught pudding lovers how to make a frozen version of banana pudding without cookies. And now, in what might be the tastiest example of this dessert’s evolution, a frozen mashup combining the two components has been revealed. It’s good in the sense that you’ll have a hard time stopping yourself from eating an entire batch in one sitting.

But first, if you want to make this special dessert, be aware that freezing banana pudding with vanilla wafers can change the texture, making it less creamy. To avoid this possibility, do not follow the pudding recipe as is. If you plan to eat it frozen, like banana cookies and cream ice cream rather than as a gooey pudding, consider combining the pudding mix with Cool Whip, Dream whipor yours homemade whipped cream before freezing it. This will keep the dessert light, fluffy and creamy, even if frozen.

Learn more: Storage Mistakes That Ruin Your Food

Freezing Whipped Banana Pudding with Wafers

The whipped cream and pudding mixture should sit in the freezer for at least eight hours to give you a firm ice cream-like consistency. What you decide to do from there will depend on your dessert preferences, which means you’ll need to decide when you add the cookies: before or after freezing. Usually the standard dessert consists of alternating layers of pudding, banana slices and biscuitsall topped with whipped cream. Unfortunately, inserting whole vanilla wafers after freezing will naturally prove difficult.

In this case, you have several options. A few versions of the recipe call for the vanilla wafers to be crushed, although the cookies are usually crushed and sprinkled over the pudding as a topping instead of being used in layers in the middle of the dessert. However, if you plan to eat this dish frozen, you may have trouble fitting bite-sized pieces of cookies onto your spoon – unless you crumble the cookies and layer them. little pieces everywhere. Although you’ll miss the visual aspect of whole cookies scattered throughout the pudding, you’ll still get the layered effect that makes the dessert so tasty.

Prepare frozen pudding with whole biscuits

If you’re really serious about having whole cookies in the frozen banana pudding, instead of crumbled layers, then treat the frozen pudding more like a frozen layered ice cream cake. You will prepare it by layering the dessert in a glass dish as you normally would. Once assembled, place it in the freezer.

Let it sit for about eight hours before serving. Instead of putting it in a bowl like ice cream, cut it like it’s an ice cream cake. The cookies essentially become the crust and filling of the cake, the same way a graham cracker crust does in pies and frozen desserts. And as with frozen cakes, you’ll eat the frozen version of this dessert with a fork, or a fork and a spoon. If you prefer a less solid candy or want to make it easier to serve, you can also let your whipped banana pudding thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours for a fluffier, lighter texture that makes the whole wafers shine crispy.

Also, if this all still seems a bit much, prepare pre-portioned portions by filling a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Put the pudding and banana slices in the molds, then insert whole biscuits into the sides of each cup so that they form a biscuit wall around the pudding. Top with more cookie crumbles and freeze. Not only is this option a fun take on dessert, but you’ll also have a batch of miniature frozen treats to enjoy whenever you get a craving for some cookie-wrapped frozen banana pudding.

Read the original article on Chowhound.