Magnolia (Biscuit & Pudding Dessert Cups)
Istanbul's favourite dessert cup: silky vanilla pudding layered with crushed biscuits, fresh banana and whipped cream, chilled until spoonably soft.
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Ingredients
1 litre whole milk
90g corn starch
150g granulated sugar
1 sachet (5g) vanilla sugar
1 tbsp butter
300g petit beurre biscuits
2 ripe bananas, sliced
1 pack whipped cream mix (150g), prepared with cold milk
40g pistachio kernels, finely ground, for topping
Extra biscuit crumbs, for the top layer
Instructions
- 1
Make the custard: whisk the milk, corn starch and sugar together in a saucepan while still cold, then place over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to a smooth pudding, about 8-10 minutes.
- 2
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla sugar. Press cling film onto the surface and let the custard cool to lukewarm, whisking once or twice so it stays silky.
- 3
Blitz or bash the petit beurre biscuits into fine crumbs. Reserve about 6 tablespoons for the topping.
- 4
Prepare the whipped cream mix with cold milk according to the packet, then fold half of it into the lukewarm custard for an extra-light texture.
- 5
Layer the cups: a generous spoon of biscuit crumbs, a layer of custard, a few banana slices, then repeat, finishing with custard. Use 6 individual glasses or one large trifle dish.
- 6
Top each cup with the remaining whipped cream, a dusting of reserved biscuit crumbs and ground pistachios.
- 7
Chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the biscuits soften into the cream. Serve cold, straight from the fridge.
Magnolia (magnolya) took Istanbul's dessert shops by storm and never left. Inspired by the banana pudding of New York's Magnolia Bakery, the Turkish version layers crushed petit beurre biscuits with a silky homemade vanilla custard, sliced banana and a cloud of whipped cream, all served ice-cold in individual cups.
The magic is in the resting time. As the cups chill, the biscuit crumbs drink in the custard and everything relaxes into one soft, spoonable layer, so make magnolia at least four hours ahead, or better still the night before. It is a fantastic make-ahead dessert for iftar tables, dinner parties or simply a treat-yourself Friday.
You can build it entirely from the Turkish Online Market shelves: Turkish petit beurre biscuits, corn starch and vanilla for the custard, whipped cream mix, bananas and pistachios for the top. Strawberry lovers can swap the banana for chopped berries in summer, and both versions pair beautifully with a strong Turkish coffee.
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