Butterscotch And Miso-Roasted Banana Mini Trifles Recipe

A trifle is a delightful and versatile dessert that originated in England. It's known for its layered presentation, typically featuring pieces of cake, fruit, jelly (or jam), custard or pudding, and whipped cream. What makes a trifle particularly appealing is its flexibility in ingredients and preparation methods. You can use fresh or canned fruit, homemade or store-bought cake, and various flavors of jelly and custard to suit your tastes or what's available in your pantry. The assembly is straightforward, with layers of each component stacked in a clear dish to create colorful visual appeal.

Trifles are traditionally prepared in a large glass bowl, but they can also be served in individual portions. Using smaller vessels like wine glasses, mason jars, or even small bowls, you can create single-serving trifles that are both aesthetically pleasing and practical. Recipe developer Taylor Murray brings us her version of trifle, which incorporates a pudding made from miso-roasted bananas layered with pound cake, butterscotch, and airy vanilla bean whipped cream.

The base flavor of this dessert is banana roasted with miso paste. Look for a mellow, yellow miso so as not to overwhelm the other flavors. The miso-roasted bananas are then incorporated into a pudding, made with milk, eggs, and cornstarch. Paired with that is a classic butterscotch sauce, made with brown sugar, butter, cream, whiskey, light corn syrup, and vanilla. 

All trifles need whipped cream, which can be made with heavy whipping cream and a touch of vanilla bean paste (though vanilla extract can be substituted). Finally, you'll need a few cubes of pound cake, which can be homemade or store-bought. Feel free to use a different type of mild-flavored cake if you happen to have leftovers on hand.

Heat oven to 450 F.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted butter with miso paste and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.

Break bananas into chunks and toss in the miso mixture to coat.

Transfer bananas to a baking sheet and roast until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a small pot, combine dark brown sugar, ½ cup cream, ¼ cup room-temperature butter, whiskey, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and ¼ cup water.

Bring mixture to a low boil, without stirring, and cook until thick, about 8-10 minutes.

Let butterscotch cool before transferring to a pastry bag.

In a large pot, bring roasted bananas, milk, and ¼ cup granulated sugar to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, cornstarch, and remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar.

Drizzle 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly.

Return all of the egg mixture to the pot and whisk to combine. Simmer pudding until boiling and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Strain banana pudding while hot, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until cold.

Transfer to a pastry bag.

In a large, cold bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup cream with vanilla bean paste until airy and stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a pastry bag.

In wine glasses or another single-serving vessel, layer cubes of pound cake with whipped cream, banana pudding, and butterscotch.

Top trifles with sliced banana, if using, before serving.

Due to the delicate nature of bananas and whipped cream, the assembled trifles can not be made very far in advance. Without the sliced banana on top, these can be put together an hour before serving, at most. With that being said, all of the components can be prepared in advance for speedy assembly. Both the pudding and the butterscotch can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container or pastry bag in the refrigerator. The whipped cream is not as stable, but it can still be whipped a few hours before serving. Some restaurants add a bit of gelatin to whipped cream to stabilize it enough to stay airy and light for hours, and that can be a good option.

Sliced banana has a tendency to brown fast, so slice the garnish just before serving. You can also toss the slices with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning for a while. Plus, less ripe bananas will always brown slower than super-ripe ones.

Miso, a fermented soybean paste commonly used in Japanese cuisine, can be a surprisingly versatile ingredient in dessert recipes. Miso adds a rich, savory flavor known as umami. This deepens the overall complexity of a dessert. There are several types of miso, and depending on which kind you use, it can add subtle caramel or nutty notes, which is great for baked goods. Think of it like adding salt to a batch of brownies: Even though it's a sweet dish, the addition of savory elements deepens the flavor.

Miso's unique flavor profile makes it a creative ingredient in desserts, offering a bridge between savory and sweet, and allowing for innovative and delicious creations. The umami of miso complements the deep sweetness of caramel and butterscotch and pairs well with fruits like apples, pears, and berries, in addition to bananas. Miso can add a savory twist and respite for the palate in creamy desserts like panna cotta or cheesecake.