cooKout WitH cLinton

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ “Popping a can of condensed milk into simmering water is the easiest way to make dulce de leche and can save you about $2.”

Chocolate-banana icebox cake

active 45 min ✦ total 3 hr 25 min (plus chilling) ✦ serves 15

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk ½ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup cornstarch ⅛ tsp kosher salt 4 cups whole milk 4 large egg yolks 2 tsp pure vanilla extract ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips 1 14.4-oz box graham crackers 6 large bananas 1½ cups heavy cream 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, for serving

1 place the unopened can of condensed milk in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring the water to a boil. reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours (check occasionally to ensure that the can is fully submerged). remove the can from the water and let it cool at least 30 minutes before opening. 2 in a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add ½ cup milk and stir to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining 3½ cups milk and the egg yolks. stirring continuously, bring the mixture to a simmer and continue stirring until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. 3 Transfer half the mixture (about 2½ cups) to a medium bowl. Add the chocolate chips to the pot; stir until melted and smooth. 4 line the bottom of a 9 x 13-in. casserole dish with graham crackers, breaking as necessary to ft. spoon the vanilla pudding on top, spreading to smooth. slice the bananas about ¼ in. thick and arrange on top of the pudding. Top with a layer of graham crackers. 5 Open the can of condensed milk and spread it on top of the graham crackers, then sandwich with another layer of crackers. Arrange another layer of bananas on top. 6 spoon the chocolate pudding over the bananas, gently spreading to smooth. refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour or up to overnight, covering after 1 hour. 7 Just before serving, make the whipped cream. using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream in a large bowl until stif peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. spread over the chocolate pudding. use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate on top of the cream, if desired.

Per servinG 466 cAl, 20 g fAT (10 g sAT fAT), 128 mg chOl, 219 mg sOd, 8 g prO, 65 g cAr, 2 g fiber

crystal cook and sandy Pollock (casserolequeens.com) hail from Austin, TX, and are famous for their fresh takes on comfort food. Their latest book is The Casserole Queens Make-a-Meal Cookbook.