Bananas Foster

SO fast and easy!  ... this all comes together in less than 5 minutes, for a wonderful end to your meal.

When you compare how inexpensive this desert is to make (compared to how much the restaurants charge), you may be more inclined to make it at home. 

Ingredients:
(for two servings):

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or maybe a little less)
• small handful of chopped pecans
• 1 ripe, but still firm banana
• 1 Tbsp dark rum (optional)

Step-by-step:
Gather up and measure all your ingredients out first... yes, it's that fast!

Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium to medium-high heat until toasted.  Stir them often.  This brings out the oils in them and they become much "nuttier."

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add brown sugar and cook until bubbly and thick, a couple of minutes max.

Add the cream and stir until smooth.

Add the bananas and gently "bathe" them with the caramel sauce.  You really only want to warm the bananas.  Over cooking them will make them mushy.  Also, avoid stirring them too much, or they will break.

Add the dark rum and stir.  The alcohol will cook out, and you will be left with a nice background note of the rum.  (I do NOT flambe' things in my kitchen. This is up to you.)

 Cook until the mixture reduces, thickens and gets silky.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Garnish with extra sauce, toasted nuts, some fresh mint, and a little cinnamon sugar over the top.  Enjoy!  You really can not get easier than this!!

** I think this would also be an exceptional topping for a slice of pound cake with a great cup of coffee!

Looking for more fabulous desserts to whip up at home?! Please visit my Recipe Index for lots of ideas to cook with/for your family.  Here are a few to get you started:

• Apple and Cherry DanishTarts

• Homemade Snickers Bars

• Lily's Blackberry Cobbler

• Macadamia Nut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate

• Peanut Butter Cups - Just Like Reese's

Food Nerd Notes:

Bananas Foster is a fabulous dessert of bananas and vanilla ice cream with a luscious sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and often a banana liqueur.  The butter, sugar and bananas are cooked, and then the alcohol is added and usually ignited table side as a flambe'.  The dish was made popular at Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans in the early 1950's but has become so popular that it is now served in many restaurants worldwide.  It was actually named for the then Crime Commission chairman of New Orleans (Richard Foster), who was a friend of the Brennan's.

Written Method:

Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium to medium-high heat until toasted.  Stir them often.  This brings out the oils in them and they become much "nuttier."  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add brown sugar and cook until bubbly and thick, a couple of minutes max.  Add the cream and stir until smooth.  Add the bananas and gently "bathe" them with the caramel sauce.  You really only want to warm the bananas.  Over cooking them will make them mushy.  Also, avoid stirring them too much, or they will break.  Add the dark rum and stir.  The alcohol will cook out, and you will be left with a nice background note of the rum.  (I do NOT flambe' things in my kitchen. This is up to you.)  Cook until the mixture reduces, thickens and gets silky.  Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Garnish with extra sauce, toasted nuts, some fresh mint, and a little cinnamon sugar over the top.