The Weeknight Table

Ingredients

Dairy

• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 12 ounces mascarpone cheese
• ¾ cup whole milk or half-and-half
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Produce

• 3 ripe bananas, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

Bakery / Cookies

• 1 (7–8 oz) package ladyfinger cookies
• 12–15 Biscoff cookies, finely crushed

Pantry / Dry Goods

• ½ cup Biscoff cookie butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar

Liquor / Bar

• 3 tablespoons banana liqueur

---

Instructions

Start by making the mascarpone cream. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream with the granulated sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, gently loosen the mascarpone with a spatula, then fold it into the whipped cream along with the salt until smooth and airy. Do not overmix. The texture should be light, not dense. Set aside.

Next, prepare the banana soak for the ladyfingers. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk or half-and-half, sweetened condensed milk, banana liqueur, and vanilla. Taste the mixture. It should be lightly sweet, softly banana-forward, and not boozy. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the mixture, coating both sides without letting them sit long enough to fall apart.

To assemble, spread a thin layer of mascarpone cream across the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange a single layer of soaked ladyfingers over the cream, followed by an even layer of sliced bananas. Spoon another light layer of mascarpone cream over the bananas and gently smooth it out.

In a separate bowl, whisk the Biscoff cookie butter with 2–3 tablespoons of heavy cream until it loosens into a spreadable, frosting-like consistency. Spread this Biscoff cream in a thin, even layer over the mascarpone.

Finish by dusting the top generously with finely crushed Biscoff cookies, mimicking the look of traditional cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the layers to set and the flavors to meld.

Serve chilled, scooping through all the layers so every bite gets cream, banana, soaked ladyfinger, and that Biscoff finish.

---

---