Chocolate Banana Cream Trifle

I was looking through my cook books and noticed I made this back in April 2009 and I hadn't posted it yet. So I thought that I would post it just for the sake of posting something. I haven't had anything that I have wanted to blog about lately. Haven't been in the "oh lets try something new mode" lately it has been more of a "survival mode" and doing the quick easy family favorites a.k.a comfort foods that I know my kids will gobble down. My picture doesn't look even close to the cookbook photo--I think my trifle dish was too big, making all the layers seem more like one. But regardless of how it looks it's a dessert so we had enjoyed eating it anyway!

Chocolate Banana Cream Trifle

18 whole graham crackers, divided

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided

1 pkg. (3.4 oz) banana cream instant pudding and pie filling (I used my Family's Banana Cream Pie recipe)

1 cup milk

1 lemon

4 large bananas

Finely chop half of a graham crackers; set aside. Coarsely crumble remaining crackers into a 2-qt. mixing bowl.

For ganache, place chocolate morsels and 1 1/2 cups of the whipped topping into a small bowl. Microwave on high 45-60 seconds or until melted smooth, stirring every 15 seconds. Combine the pudding mix and the milk; whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in remaining whipped topping ; set aside.

Juice lemon to measure 2 Tablespoons juice. Peel bananas and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Slice banana sections with egg slicer if desired. Add lemon juice and toss gently. Set aside 12 slices for garnish.

To assemble trifle, place half of the crumbled graham crackers over the bottom of trifle bowl. Place half of the bananas over the crackers, arranging some of the bananas against sides of the bowl, and top with one-third of the ganache. Spread half of the banana filling over ganache spreading to edges. Repeat layers one time. Decorate with remaining ganache. Sprinkle top of trifle with chopped graham cracker. Arrange reserved banana slices around edges of trifle.

Yeilds 16 servings (Recipe taken from Pampered Chef Spring/Summer 2009 Seasons Best booklet)

** The chocolate was a little dark for my taste. Next time I will try it with a milk chocolate.

Rainbow Ribbon Jell-O

Isn't this Jell-O almost to beautiful to eat?! My mother-in-law Ruth made this for our Christmas Eve dinner. It was so tasty and boy it was so fun! Be prepared to spend some time on this Jell-O because of all the layers. It is a fun one to make when you are already tending to other dishes in the kitchen.

Rainbow Jello

9x13 pan

1 small pkg of each Jell-O Flavor listed below

red-strawberry

orange-orange

yellow-lemon

green-lime

blue- peach w/blue food coloring or blueberry

purple-grape or blackberry

Mix an individual box/color with 1 cup hot water, then divide in color in half.

To one half add 3 Tablespoons water.

To the other half and 1/3 cup sour cream.

Pour first half (Jell-O+ Water) in pan, let set, then pour second half (Jell-O + Sour Cream) in pan, let set.

Repeat each color

When set, cut into squares and serve. Sit back and watch your company Ooo! and Awe! Thank you Ruth for a fun and good eat! And a BIG THANK YOU for sharing your recipe.

Boston Cream Pie/Cake

I have made this delicious cake with both chocolate and yellow cake. Both are delicious and have gotten rave reviews by those eating it! I will say that the yellow cake really does make it taste like a Boston Cream Pie. The pudding layers make the cake so incredibly moist. It is a cake that looks like it takes a lot of time, but it really is quick and easy.

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding (I use two small boxes)

1 cup cold milk (1 cup of milk per box used)

1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (because I use two pks of pudding I use the entire container of cool whip)

1 round yellow cake layer (8 or 9 inch)

1 square BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate

1 Tbsp. butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. cold milk

(I add 1 teaspoon vanilla)

Make Cake according to box directions. Cool Completely!

BEAT pudding mix and 1 cup milk with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, cut cake horizontally into 2 layers with serrated knife.

STACK cake layers on serving plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers.

Melt bakers chocolate and butter in microwave for 30-1 minute on high until melted (care not to burn it). Add the milk, then add 3/4-1 cup powdered sugar depending on how thick of a consistency you desire.

This is where I add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

~Recipe taken from Kraft Foods Food and Family Magazine. It can also be found on their website.

Spooky Jell-O

This fun little Jell-O was my sister-in-laws idea. She brought the Jell-O to our Sunday dinner. It was grape flavor with whole pears in it. I didn't think anything of it when her daughter brought it in and sat it on the counter. When Echo arrived she asked if I liked the Halloween Jell-O. She then informed me the pears reminded her of skulls. I said they need eyes, so we added mini chocolate chips for kicks. Then everyone that passed it said those are cute ghost! Oh well, skulls or ghost it is all in fun and spooky! I was surprised that the grape flavor with the pear was actually okay together. I just had to post it! Use Echo's creative idea to make a fun Halloween Jell-O! The kids will love it!

Dreamy Layered Jello Salad

My sister-in-law made this jello for Sunday dinner and it was a hit. I usually have the jello assignment and they always get 5 stars, (I learned how to make killer jello from my mom--she new all the right flavors and fruit combos to put together). What I make is the simple jello with fruit in it nothing fancy like this recipe (though my family recipe book has many fancy jello salad recipes). Jack's family has nicknamed me Jill-O. When I told them I didn't have a Jell-O label on my blog they were shocked. So in tribute to our "must have" Sunday dinner side there is now a Jello salad label.

1 large pkg. Strawberry-banana jello
8 oz crushed pineapple & juice
1 cup hot water
1 large pkg. frozen strawberries
2 small cubed bananas
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Stir all together. Pour 1/2 in bowl and let set up.

8 oz sour cream
1 Tablespoon sugar

Mix and pour over first half of set up jello. Pour second half jello over sour cream. Chill until set up.

** We would change this recipe by replacing the sour cream with whip topping or cool whip. We also thought it needed more jello, but I haven't tried doubling just the jello to (2 pks jello and 2 cups of water which is not made according to the pkg directions)