Book:
The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook: Recipes from the Classic Cookie to Mocha Chip Meringue Cake
Chocolate-Banana Whipped Cream Trifle:
Lavish, impressive, and generous, this trifle has multiple layers of Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, sliced bananas, chocolate, and whipped cream. If you have the cookies baked and ready in the freezer, it takes only minutes to put it together. For the traditional presentation, assemble the trifle in a glass serving bowl so the many layers show through.
Makes: 10 servings
Mixing time: 15 minutes
2/3 cup (about 4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips
Whipped Cream
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large or 5 medium ripe bananas, sliced
16 Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Method:
Have ready a bowl with a 2 1/2- to 3-quart capacity, preferably glass. Put the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler); the water should not touch the bowl. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Make the whipped cream. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream, powdered sugar, rum, and vanilla until firm peaks form.
Assemble the trifle. Spread about 1 cup of the whipped cream over the bottom of the bowl. Spread one-third of the banana slices over the cream. Use a small spoon to drizzle about 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate chips over the bananas. Add a layer of 4 cookies, breaking them up to fit if necessary. Repeat the layering of whipped cream, bananas, chocolate, and cookies to make 2 more layers. Add a fourth layer of whipped cream. Break the remaining 4 cookies into pieces about 1 inch in size and scatter them over the whipped cream. Drizzle the remaining melted chocolate chips over the cookies.
Refrigerate the trifle for about 15 minutes to firm up the chocolate topping, then cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Serve cold.
Use a large spoon to serve the trifle, digging down through the layers to the bottom of the bowl for each serving.
