Recipe: Magnolia's Banana Pudding

Back in May, a friend of mine made this banana pudding for one of our "Teen Vogue Intern Nights." I'm not a huge fan of bananas or any heavy desserts, but this was delicious! I later Googled the recipe and luckily, it was pretty easy (and inexpensive) to make. I made a batch for a recent holiday party and the results were great! I'll definitely be making it again.

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups ice cold water
• 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix, preferably Jell-O brand
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (I used the mini kind)
• 4 cups sliced ripe bananas (I only used 2, since I don't really like bananas!)
  
  
  1. In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. (I was short on time, so I only let the pudding set for 2 hours. I didn't notice a difference.)
  2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.
  3. To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.