Banana Pudding Tacos with vanilla wafer

 There has been a viral photo of a taco making it’s way around the internet that has got people talking as well as salivating. But it’s not your typical taco, it’s a dessert taco. As a matter of fact, it’s a banana pudding taco.

This recipe is from the kitchen of Darius Cooks with a little added flair to fit in tacos. Trust me, you’re going to love this. 

INGREDIENTS:

For the pudding:

• 1 packet of French vanilla pudding mix
• 1 ½ cups of cold milk
• 1 ½ cups of cold heavy cream
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

For the salted caramel whipped cream:

• 1 8-oz package of cold cream cheese
• 1 ½ cups of cold whipped cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 ½ cups of brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• About 3 bananas, sliced

Lots of cookies – I used Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Butter Cookies

For wafer taco shell:

• 7 ounces all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 ounces vanilla sugar
• 1 large egg
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon whole milk

DIRECTIONS:

Start by making the custard base. In a mixer, mix together the whipped cream until stiff peaks occur. Then, set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the French vanilla pudding mix and cold mix. Whisk well to ensure there are no lumps. Then, once it sets slightly, add in the sweetened condensed milk. Mix well to combine. Lastly, fold in the whipped cream carefully so as not to deflate the cream. Then, in a dish, layer in the custard mixture along with the cookies and sliced bananas. Repeat the layers until the dish is full and then put it in the fridge for at least an hour to chill.

Meanwhile, make the salted caramel. In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugar together and mix until smooth. Then, stir in the cream, vanilla, and salt. Pour into a dish and set aside.

For the wafer, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after 1 minute. Add the egg and incorporate on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl. Add the vanilla extract and milk and blend on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just to incorporate. Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before scooping.

Scoop the batter to make 8 inch circular flat “shells.” Bake until very light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan to a cooling rack to cool completely before removing the shells from the pan.

Then, make the salted caramel whipped cream by whisking together the cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Then pour in the vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Mix together slowly until it starts to stiffen and then increase the speed until it’s light and fluffy.

To assemble, just pour the salted caramel whipped cream over the chilled custard mixture. Use a spoon to spread it out evenly. Then, drizzle over the salted caramel sauce and top with broken cookie pieces and serve.