Chocolate-Chip Cookie Banana Pudding Just a simple substitution makes for an incredible dessert! Ingredients 1 box (small) banana cream pudding 1 box (small) chocolate pudding 4 cups cold milk (2% or whole (2 cups for each box)) 4 bananas (peeled & sliced) 18-24 chocolate chip cream sandwich cookies (reserve at least 4) 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips morsels Instructions In a medium size mixing bowl add the pudding powder from both boxes. Mix together all 4 cups of milk according to the instructions on the box with either a wire whisk or hand mixer. Once pudding has come to the right consistency set aside to prepare the banana and cookies. Using a cutting board or what ever you fill comfortable using. Peel and cut each banana into slices approx. 1/2 in or so and set aside. In a medium serving bowl add a layer of the pudding mixture to the bottom of the bowl alternating pudding, bananas, cookies and chocolate chips. For this particular dish I separated each cookie sandwich and alternated the cookie layer with one side of the cookie down and the other side up. You can choose to layer them whole or as stated above. With the remaining 4 cookies you reserved earlier, place these in a plastic zip lock bag and crush until cookies become a crumbly topping. Sprinkle cookie crumbles over the top as the finial step. Chill or eat right away. I’m not sure why but when chocolate and bananas are served together it’s more than delicious. Enjoy!

Nathan Branch ©2011 Adapted from a Nigel Slater recipe. The original recipe was called "Wholemeal Apple and Marmalade Cake", but I had pears instead of apples, lime marmalade instead of orange marmalade, and when I opened my brand new bag of organic, stone ground wholemeal flour, it was infested with bugs, so I opted for 7-Grain flour, instead (can you blame me?). I also switched out the cinnamon spice for a combo of black pepper and nutmeg, since the scent of the cinnamon clashed with the sharper, brighter tones of the lime marmalade. I was a little nervous as to how so many substitutions might fare in the end result, but the cake is terrific, with a tangy, peppery bite. It goes especially well with fresh whipped cream, or when drizzled in cold heavy cream. Ingredients: 7-grain flour, pears, lime marmalade, sultanas, butter, light muscovado sugar, eggs, baking powder, ground pepper, ground nutmeg, finely grated zest of lime and demerara sugar to sprinkle on top before baking. The lime marmalade is from St. Andrews Limes, from limes grown right here in New Zealand.