banana blondie trifles with dulce de leche custard

my preferred banana ripeness is spotted, brown, and mushy. i like them best when the peel softens to the point of falling off and the fruit tastes almost fermented. people often recommend getting rid of brown bananas by masking them with spices in a quick bread, but i think they deserve to be the star of their own dish!

these single-serving trifles are perfectly portioned and easy to prepare in advance for a small crowd. buttery blondies soaked in sweet dulce de leche custard combine effortlessly to heighten the ripe banana flavor. the jars get a burst of color after being rimmed with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a bright red cherry.

these are best eaten right out of the fridge; the flavors intensify as they chill.

ingredients

blondies

• 1 cup dark or light brown sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted and cooled
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup flour

custard

• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup dulce de leche

assembly

• dulce de leche
• rainbow sprinkles
• 4 ripe bananas, thickly sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 10 maraschino cherries

for the blondies, preheat the oven to 350º. spray an 8-inch square pan and line with parchment paper. whisk together the sugar and butter. add the egg, vanilla, and salt and whisk again. sprinkle with flour and whisk until combined. bake for a little less than 20 minutes. let cool in the pan, then remove and let cool completely on a rack. these can be made in advance and frozen.

for the custard, heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it starts to bubble around the edges. meanwhile, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl with a little milk (this will prevent lumps later). add gradually to the milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. continue stirring for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. chill in the fridge for at least an hour, then whisk in the dulce de leche. this can be made up to 3 days in advance.

to assemble, spread dulce de leche thinly on the rims of 10 jars. dip into a bowl of sprinkles to coat completely (they should stick). cut the blondies into bite sized chunks. add four or five chunks into the bottom of each jar, and spoon over some custard. add a few slices of banana. repeat layers. beat the cream and sugar in a mixer with the whisk attachment (or just with a whisk) until stiff peaks form. put it into a piping bag fitted with a french or closed/open star tip. pipe some whipped cream onto each trifle, and top with a cherry (you may want to drain the cherries on a paper towel before use). chill until ready to serve!