HOLIDAY FIG TORTE

Holiday Fig Torte image

Meet the Cook: Since we entertain my family - around 25 people - each December, and I do most of the cooking, I appreciate dishes like this I can prepare ahead of time. I'm a home economics teacher...my husband is a teacher, too...and now our daughter, who's in her last year of college, is doing her student teaching! -Judy Trott, Goldsboro, North Carolina

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 20m

Yield 12-16 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

30 to 35 Fig Newton cookies (about 1 pound)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large bananas, sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups cold milk
1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Red and green maraschino cherries, well drained

Steps:

Cover the bottom of a 13x9-in. dish with cookies. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy; spread over cookies. , Toss bananas with lemon juice; arrange over the cream cheese layer. In another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for two minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set., Fold in half of the whipped topping; spread over bananas. Spread remaining topping over pudding layer. Sprinkle with pecans. Decorate with cherries. Cover and chill overnight.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 354 calories, Fat 16g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 22mg cholesterol, Sodium 305mg sodium, Carbohydrate 47g carbohydrate (35g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 5g protein.