BANANA PUDDING WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Banana pudding is a serious Southern staple. Every barbecue joint and meat-and-three restaurant has a variation of the dessert. There’s a lot of dispute as to what is the “correct” way to make it. Warm or cold? Vanilla or banana pudding? Layered or stacked wafers? This recipe calls for very ripe bananas assembled with cold vanilla pudding and topped with caramel (in lieu of meringue). Single-serving Mason jars make for an adorable presentation. Serve it immediately so the wafers are still crisp, or let it rest a day in the refrigerator so everything melds together.

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1½ cups ice cold water

1 (3.4-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix

3 cups heavy cream

1 box vanilla wafers

4 sliced bananas (very ripe)

Almond toffee for garnish (optional)

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

¾ cup heavy cream

3½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon gray sea salt, crushed or kosher salt

Makes 8 half-pint (8-ounce) Mason jars

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sweetened condensed milk and water for about a minute. Add the pudding mix, and beat for about 2 more minutes. Transfer to a smaller bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form. With the mixer on low, add in the chilled pudding mixture until just combined and no streaks of pudding are visible.

3. In Mason jars layer the wafers, bananas, and pudding until you have 2 or 3 layers in each jar, ending with pudding. Cover each jar tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the pudding for at least 30 minutes before serving or overnight.

4. To make the salted caramel sauce, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine the sugar and water over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, without stirring, swirling the pan if necessary. Boil until the syrup is a deep amber color, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the butter and salt. Transfer the caramel to a dish and let it cool. Just before serving, drizzle each banana pudding Mason jar with salted caramel sauce, and garnish with toffee pieces.

MAKE IT AHEAD: Store the caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and warm it before serving. Make the banana pudding up to a day in advance.