Banana Chocolate Cream
Submitted by matrucker
Banana chocolate cream dessert layered over rum-soaked coconut macaroons with homemade custard, whipped cream, and grated chocolate. An elegant no-bake showstopper.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minCoconut macaroons soaked in rum and orange juice, topped with a mound of mashed banana folded into homemade confectioners’ custard and whipped cream, then finished with grated chocolate and fresh orange sections. This is a layered dessert with the kind of European elegance you don’t see enough of anymore.
The macaroons are the foundation. Twenty minutes of soaking in orange juice and rum softens them from crunchy to cake-like, giving the base a boozy, citrusy flavor that contrasts with the sweet banana cream above. The rum is optional, but it adds a warmth that orange juice alone doesn’t provide.
The confectioners’ custard is made from scratch in a double boiler: milk infused with a vanilla pod, thickened with flour, sugar, and egg yolks, cooked until smooth and glossy. It’s essentially a French pastry cream, and it’s the backbone of this dessert. Folding in the mashed banana and orange zest gives it a tropical character, while the whipped cream lightens the texture to something airy and mousse-like.
This can sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours before serving, which makes it ideal for dinner parties. The flavors meld and the macaroon base absorbs more of the cream.
Chef Tips
- Cool the custard to lukewarm before folding in the banana and cream. Hot custard will melt the whipped cream and deflate the whole thing.
- Stir the custard constantly while it cooks in the double boiler. Egg yolks scramble fast if heat concentrates in one spot.
- Use ripe bananas for mashing. Underripe bananas stay chunky and don’t blend smoothly into the custard.
- Grate the chocolate on the large holes of a box grater for visible curls, not fine dust.
Variations
- Chocolate custard base: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the custard for a full chocolate-banana-orange experience.
- Ladyfinger version: Swap the macaroons for ladyfingers for a tiramisu-like take on this dessert.
- Skip the rum: Replace with extra orange juice for a family-friendly version that’s just as flavorful.
Ingredients
Directions
Arrange the macaroons in 2 serving dishes.
Combine orange juice and rum, then drizzle over the macaroons.
Let stand for 20 minutes. Mash bananas with a fork.
Stir orange rind into the confectioners’ custard, then fold in the bananas.
Fold in the whipped cream, then mound the banana mixture over the macaroons.
Sprinkle evenly with grated chocolate. May be refrigerated for 3 to 4 hours before serving if desired.
Arrange orange sections around side of each dish as a border just before serving.
BASIC CONFECTIONERS’ CUSTARD directions:
Combine the milk and the vanilla pod in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat to just below the boiling point. Combine the flour and sugar in a medium mixing bowl, blending well.
Add the egg yolks and beat thoroughly with an electric mixer.
Remove the vanilla pod from the milk (then dry and store for later use).
Pour the milk slowly into the flour mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until well blended.
Pour the milk mixture into the top of a double boiler. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick and smooth.
Cool to lukewarm.
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