Banana Pudding-Filled Cookies - Bake from Scratch

      A Southern classic, banana pudding is a summertime delight that is hard to surpass—but we gave it a shot! These soft-baked brown sugar cookies are filled with a rich, smooth Banana Pastry Cream, reminiscent of the beloved pudding. As the cookies bake, the pastry cream turns into a luxurious pocket of fluffy goodness, while crushed vanilla wafers provide a gentle crunch and evoke fond memories of banana pudding. To top it off, we whipped heavy cream with the leftover pastry cream to create a light, airy finish—after all, banana pudding is known for its indulgence.

      **Yields 8 cookies**

      **Banana Pastry Cream (recipe below)**

      ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened

      1 cup (220 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

      1 large egg (50 grams), at room temperature

      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

      1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour

      1½ teaspoons (5 grams) cornstarch

      ½ teaspoon kosher salt

      ¼ teaspoon baking powder

      1 cup (116 grams) finely ground vanilla wafers

      ¾ cup (180 grams) cold heavy whipping cream

      Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Using a 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, portion out 8 mounds of Banana Pastry Cream (about 27 grams each) and place them on the prepared pan; freeze until slightly firm, approximately 20 minutes. Cover the remaining pastry cream and refrigerate until needed. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed.

      In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder together. With the mixer on low speed, gradually mix in the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating just until combined while scraping the bowl as needed. With a 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, portion out 8 dough pieces (approximately 33 grams each) and place them on a prepared pan. Gently flatten each piece of dough. Take one frozen mound of Banana Pastry Cream and place it on a flattened dough piece; cover it with another flattened dough piece, pressing the edges together to seal. Shape the dough into a 2- to 2¼-inch ball, then lightly flatten it. Roll the stuffed dough in the ground wafers. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough and frozen pastry cream, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

      Bake until their edges are golden brown, about 16 to 18 minutes. (See Note.) Allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough, frozen Banana Pastry Cream, and ground wafers.

      In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the leftover pastry cream (about 116 grams) at medium speed until creamy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the cold cream in a slow, steady stream, mixing until well combined and scraping the bowl sides as necessary; then increase the speed to high and whip until medium-stiff peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pastry cream mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch closed star piping tip (Ateco #856) and pipe onto the cooled cookies as desired. Serve right away.

      **Note:** While still warm, gently swirl a 5- to 6-inch round cutter around each cookie in a circular motion to achieve an even shape.

      Let us know how it turned out!

      **Banana Pastry Cream**

      **Yields about 1 1/3 cups**

      1¼ cups (300 grams) whole milk

      1 cup (154 grams) chopped ripe banana (about 1 large banana)

      ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

      2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch

      ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

      2 large egg yolks (37 grams), at room temperature

      1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, cubed

      1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

      In a medium bowl, mix the milk and banana; cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan, discarding the solids. Heat the milk over medium heat until steaming, ensuring it does not boil. In another medium bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt; then whisk in egg yolks until smooth. Gradually mix in half of the hot milk. Pour the sugar mixture into the remaining hot milk in the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking frequently; cook, continuing to whisk, until thickened