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- Meghan Markle has a new banana pudding recipe named after her daughter, Princess Lilibet.
- It features a twist on the Southern dessert with macerated strawberries and crumbled vanilla wafers.
- I made the beautiful and delicious dessert and think it’s perfect for Mother’s Day.
I recently spent a weekend living like Meghan Markle, trying out nearly a dozen cooking and hosting projects from her new Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan.”
I made bouquets, designed floral ice cubes, and decorated avocado toast with flower sprinkles from Meghan’s line of As Ever products. But my favorite part of the weekend was whipping up the Duchess of Sussex’s recipe for Chantilly Lili, a delicious banana pudding that wowed my boyfriend and friends.
Here’s how to make it.
Meghan Markle named the Chantilly Lili dessert after her daughter, Princess Lilibet.
The recipe, shared on The New York Times, is inspired by a banana pudding that Meghan’s grandmother used to make.
“Grandma Jeanette would have used instant,” Meghan told the Times as she whipped up the homemade vanilla pudding for the base. “But she would have loved this.”
Meghan’s recipe offers a few twists on the classic Southern dessert. She adds strawberries macerated with lemon zest and juice, and opts for finely crushed vanilla wafers instead of the whole cookies.
“I know some people will be upset that I took out the wafers, but I like them crumbled on top,” she added.
Meghan’s recipe, which serves six, features homemade pudding and Chantilly cream, plus bananas and strawberries.
To make the homemade vanilla pudding, you’ll need:
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 2 cups of whole milk
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon of cold, unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract
- ¼ teaspoon of fine salt
To make the Chantilly cream, you’ll need:
- ¾ cup of heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract
For the assembly, you’ll need:
- 8 ounces of strawberries, sliced
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1 ripe banana
- 4 vanilla wafers, finely crushed
- 6 mint leaves, for garnish
I made the vanilla pudding the day before I planned to serve Meghan’s dessert.
The pudding needs to chill for at least two hours, but you can keep it in the fridge for up to two days before serving. I let mine sit overnight.
Per the recipe, I began by adding the cornstarch and ¼ cup of whole milk into a small bowl. I whisked my ingredients together until the mixture was smooth.
I added the sugar, yolks, and remaining milk in a saucepan, then threw in the cornstarch mixture.
I separated the eggs over a bowl, popping the yolks into the saucepan before adding the sugar and 1 ¾ cups of milk. I whisked the cornstarch mixture again, then whisked it into the saucepan.
I set my saucepan over medium heat, whisking it continuously while waiting for the pudding to thicken.
Meghan says this step will take about five to seven minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the pudding starts to bubble.
My pudding began to bubble at the five-minute mark.
I allowed the pudding to boil gently while whisking for another two minutes.
After two more minutes of whisking, I transferred the mixture to a bowl and added the remaining ingredients.
I whisked in the butter, vanilla, and salt, continuing to mix until the butter had melted.
Then, I covered my pudding and placed it in the fridge to chill overnight.
Meghan’s recipe recommends pressing plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pudding while you allow it to chill.
The following day, I prepared my strawberries about half an hour before serving.
I sliced all my strawberries and threw them into a bowl with the tablespoon of sugar, gently stirring them together.
I zested half a lemon over the strawberries and squeezed some of its juice on top.
The recipe specifies using a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, but I just eyeballed it.
After mixing everything together, Meghan recommends tasting the strawberries to see if they need more sugar. I added a sprinkle more for extra sweetness and set the bowl to the side for 30 minutes.
This process, known as maceration, allows the strawberries to soften and sweeten — just make sure to keep them at room temperature.
While my strawberries were macerating, I began making the Chantilly cream.
I added the heavy cream to a bowl and whisked until soft peaks formed.
Meghan says you can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. I opted for the latter.
Once I saw the soft peaks, I added the sugar and vanilla, then continued to whisk until medium peaks formed in the whipped cream.
I took my chilled pudding out of the fridge and whisked it until the texture was smooth and airy.
I added a spoonful of pudding into each of my six serving glasses.
I used an ice-cream scooper for this step, making sure to spread the pudding so the bottom was covered in every glass.
I cut my banana into thin slices and equally distributed the pieces across my serving glasses.
Then, I added a spoonful of pudding on top, creating a new layer in each glass.
I placed some of the macerated strawberries on top of the new pudding layer, making sure not to include the leftover juices.
The recipe says you should use about two-thirds of the strawberries for this step.
I covered the strawberries with my remaining pudding, then added the fresh Chantilly cream.
I topped each serving cup with the remaining strawberries, sprinkled on some crumbs from my vanilla wafers, and added a mint leaf for garnish.
Meghan’s dessert definitely looks impressive.
The bright bursts of color from the strawberries and mint garnish give the dessert a cheerful feel, and the overall presentation is quite elegant.
It’s a dessert that would fit right in at a fancy brunch but doesn’t require expensive ingredients.
I would make Meghan’s Chantilly Lili again.
These lovely little cups are so delicious. The vanilla pudding is light and airy, with just the right amount of sweetness, and the macerated strawberries give a pop of zing to add depth and interest.
I ended up topping mine with more cookie crumbs and might try this again with a few whole wafers for extra crunch, but overall, I was really impressed with Meghan’s dessert.
If you’re looking for a recipe that will make your mom feel special on Mother’s Day, Meghan’s Chantilly Lili definitely takes the cake — or should I say pudding.
And if you’re looking for more inspiration, try Ina Garten’s easy breakfast cake (my mom’s personal favorite).
Read the full article here
