Freezing whipped banana pudding with wafers
The mixture of whipped cream and pudding should be kept in the freezer for a minimum of eight hours to achieve a firm, ice-cream-like texture. Your next steps will depend on how you prefer to enjoy the dessert, particularly when to incorporate the cookies: before or after freezing. Typically, the classic dessert features alternating layers of pudding, banana slices, and cookies, all crowned with whipped cream. However, adding whole vanilla wafers after freezing can be quite challenging.
You have a few alternatives in this situation. Some variations of the recipe suggest crushing the vanilla wafers, although they are usually crumbled and used as a garnish on top of the pudding rather than layered within the dessert. If you intend to serve this dish frozen, you might find it difficult to scoop bite-sized pieces of the cookies with your spoon—unless you crumble them and distribute the smaller bits throughout the layers. While you may sacrifice the visual appeal of whole cookies nestled in the pudding, you'll still achieve the delightful layered effect that makes this dessert so delicious.
Preparing the frozen pudding with whole cookies
If you're determined to include whole cookies in your frozen banana pudding instead of crumbled layers, think of the frozen pudding as a layered ice cream cake. Assemble the dessert in a glass dish as you typically would, then place it in the freezer. Allow it to set for about eight hours before serving. Instead of scooping it like ice cream, cut it into slices as you would with an ice cream cake. The cookies will act as both the crust and filling, similar to how a graham cracker crust functions in frozen pies and desserts. Just like with frozen ice cream cakes, you'll enjoy this dessert with a fork or a fork and spoon. If you prefer a softer treat or want to make serving easier, you can let your whipped banana pudding thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours, resulting in a fluffier, lighter texture that highlights the whole crunchy wafers.
If this still feels overwhelming, consider making pre-portioned servings by using a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners. Fill the liners with pudding and sliced bananas, then place whole cookies around the edges of each cup to create a cookie wall around the pudding. Top with additional cookie crumbles and freeze. This option not only adds a fun twist to the dessert but also gives you a batch of mini frozen treats to enjoy whenever you're craving some cookie-filled banana pudding.
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