Yield: 8 servings

Make the pastry cream first:

Pastry cream

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar

1. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt and milk and whisk; over medium heat, cook while stirring until mixture thickens.

2. In a small bowl with a fork, beat egg yolks slightly, beat small amount of milk mixture into yolks.

3. Slowly pour egg mixture back into milk mixture.

4. Stirring constantly, cook over medium low heat until mixture thickens.

5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Chill cream until ready to use.

While cream is chilling, make pancakes, waffles and pound cake below:

Pancakes

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
3 TB. shortening, melted and slightly cooled, or salad oil

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix egg, milk and shortening. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten. Do not beat or the pancakes will be tough. Bake on a hot griddle, lightly greased if necessary. Turn pancakes only once.

Waffles

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 TB. shortening, melted and slightly cooled, or salad oil

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix egg, milk, vanilla and shortening. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir only enough to moisten. Do not beat or the waffles will be tough. Bake in waffle iron following waffle iron instructions.

Pound Cake

3 cups cake flour
6 large eggs
1 pound butter
1 pound sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, using a large spoon. Add room temperature butter. Add eggs. Using a mixer on low speed, slowly add the milk, and then the vanilla extract. After thoroughly stirred, turn mixer to medium for a few minutes, then to high. Mix thoroughly. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a standard tube pan with butter, then lightly flour it, shaking the excess from the pan. Pour in the mix and bake the cake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check the doneness of the cake with a toothpick. Allow cake to cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan, then crumble the cake into small crumbs with your hands.

Custard

6 large eggs
1 1/2 pints heavy cream
1 pint half and half
1 ounce brandy
1/4 ounce nutmeg
1/2 ounce cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisky until fully incorporated. Chill until ready to use. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.


Assembly

8 pancakes
6 waffles
6 cups crumbled pound cake
(Use the recipes above, or your own recipes. Store-bought/frozen are also OK.)

1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 1/2 quarts custard (recipe above)
3 bananas
1 TB. butter

Put a layer of waffles in a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle a quarter of the pound cake over the waffles. Peel and slice the bananas. Layer with half of each of the following: the cut bananas, frozen raspberries, and frozen blueberries. Sprinkle half of the remaining pound cake over the fruit, then top with the rest of the fruit. Top the fruit with a layer of pancakes, the sprinkle the rest of the pound cake on top. Press down on the layers to pack firmly. Slowly add the custard mix until the entire dish is saturated.

Baking and Garnishing

2 1/2 cups pastry cream (recipe above)
1 banana
1/2 pint your favorite fresh berries
1/4 cup brown sugar

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60 minutes. (Oven thermometer placed in center of dish should register 165 degrees.) Top the lasagna with a layer of pastry cream. Slice the banana and layer on top of cream. Sprinkle sugar on top and place casserole under the broiler until browned. Garnish with fresh fruit and serve.