bananas are in season! recipe of the day - the perfect banana parfait!

ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups milk

4 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 bananas, more for garnish

12 shortbread or other vanilla-flavoured cookes, crumbled plus more for garnish

sweetened whipped cream for garnish

have ready a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. in a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time), whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch; whisk in egg yolks. whisking constantly, cook mixture over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. reduce heat to low; whisking constantly, cook 1 minute. remove from heat, and immediately pour through sieve into bowl. stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding. let pudding cool slightly; meanwhile slice bananas. in glasses, alternately layer warm pudding with cookies and bananas, ending with pudding and covering bananas as completely as you can to prevent discolouration. refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour. to serve, top with whipped cream and more crumbled cookies and sliced bananas.