It’s almost exactly five years since I created this recipe. It’s such a simple recipe, even with making homemade pudding. And if you haven’t made pudding from scratch, I highly recommend it. Although there’s a reason for boxed pudding, homemade takes it to a whole new level. So, make the pudding, assemble the trifle, and enjoy!
The original post from October 2019
It’s time for a confession. This is not the recipe I intended to post this week. Although I’m technically not a professional cook, I like to keep my standards high. If I don’t master a recipe, I’m not sharing it.
When I was planning recipes for October, I knew that I wanted to try my hand at a pumpkin pudding. This pudding was inspired not only out of my desire to create a new pudding but also to be a filling for eclairs. Eclairs were to be the recipe this week.
However, I haven’t made eclairs in several years. I have never published a recipe for them on Think Tasty, although I’ve made them in the past. They always were enjoyed by all, so it seemed like a simple task to create a new filling and glaze for them.
Fast forward to recipe testing for eclairs. I followed my regular recipe for pâte à choux (AKA eclair dough). Upon initial glance, while still in the oven, they looked great- golden and puffed. Once removed from the oven to cool, many of them sank in on themselves. I did have two that were successful; the rest were flops.
In that moment I knew that I couldn’t use that recipe without further testing. It wouldn’t be fair to share a recipe with a picture of the two (out of twelve) successful eclairs and expect others to have good results. And sadly, it wasn’t a week where I had time to test again and again, as I’m sure it would take a bit of tweaking.
So, here we are with a simple trifle recipe. While it wasn’t what I set out to make, it sure was a delicious result. Creamy pudding, crunchy graham crackers, and sweet walnuts made for a fine dessert after my disappointing first round of recipe testing.
Sometimes failure delivers a sweet result.
Pumpkin Walnut Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 9 full graham cracker sheets
- 1 batch Spiced Pumpkin Pudding*
- Whipped cream optional
Instructions
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Combine walnuts and maple syrup in a small bowl, stirring well.
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Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds.
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Transfer walnuts to a parchment paper lined plate, spreading into a thin layer. (Be careful, the walnuts are very hot!)
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Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
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While walnuts chill, place graham crackers in a sealed plastic bag, and crush using a rolling pin.
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To assemble:
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Place a thin (½”) layer of graham cracker crumbs at the bottom of one large serving dish or divide among 6 individual bowls or 18 miniature dessert cups.
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Top with a layer of pudding.
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Sprinkle with a layer of maple walnuts.
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Top with a second layer of pudding.
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At this point, you can serve the dish or cover and refrigerate.
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Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
