Banana Macaroon Salad

Call it a salad if you like, but this is dessert through and through, the kind that vanishes first at a backyard picnic or a church potluck.

The magic is in the crumbs. You bake a simple batter of coconut, rolled oats, sugar and margarine until just light brown, then crumble it into crisp, toasty bits that taste like the chewy edge of a macaroon. Those crumbs are what set this apart from every other banana-and-whipped-topping salad.

From there it’s all about layering: whipped topping on the bottom, then sliced bananas, pecans, and a scatter of macaroon crumbs, repeated until the bowl is full and crowned with more crumbs.

The four-hour chill earns its keep. It softens the crumbs into the cream and gives the bananas time to mingle, so every spoonful pulls a little of each layer. Make the crumbs ahead if you like; they keep for days in a tight container.

Kitchen Tips

• Bake the crumb base only until light brown; pushed too far, the coconut turns bitter.
• Slice the bananas right before assembling so they don’t brown in the bowl.
• Hold back a handful of crumbs for the very top so they stay crunchy.
• Build it in a clear glass bowl to show off the layers.

Variations

• Use fresh whipped cream in place of the tub topping.
• Add a layer of sliced strawberries or crushed pineapple.
• Stir a little toasted coconut into the crumbs for extra crunch.