Bananas Brûlée: This is another treat I first experienced when out on the town, and later decided to recreate on my own. This time, it was the elements of the banana split at Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco (at Dolores and 18th). The sundae itself was amazing, but the most captivating element for me, by far was the banana. On one side, it had a crispy shell of hardened sugar. Brûléed bananas! Genius! It offered a great texture, flavor and temperature counterpoint to the ice cream. You can also serve it over cake or on its own, but I think banana splits are adorable.
Which brings me to this idea: the ice cream social. If you provide vegan options, this can be a great way to get your affinity group (or any group of friends) together for some fun, or to introduce new members of a group to each other. You supply the ice cream and brûléed bananas. Have each person bring one item to use in the sundae bar, and everyone can make her own. It’s a lot of fun and a great alternative to the traditional “going out for a beer.” As long as everyone’s dietary choices are respected, this can be a much more inclusive way of bonding. Recently a group of us made sundaes at my place and then played Rummy. A little old-fashioned, but a lot of fun.
This recipe would probably be a bit more professional with a culinary torch, but since I don’t have one (yet), I improvised and used the broiler setting on my oven.
Ingredients:
2 bananas
¼ c. Turbinado sugar
1 TB brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. cinnamon
Preparation:
Place an oven rack on the second-highest shelf in the oven
Preheat broiler or set the toaster oven to 450F
Cover the bottom of a baking dish with aluminum foil
Quarter the bananas in their peel (lengthwise and crosswise)
Combine the rest of the ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl
Rub the bananas (flesh side down) in the sugar mixture to coat the cut sides
Remove the peel and place the bananas sugar side up in the foil-covered dish
Place the dish on the second-highest rack in the oven
Broil until the sugar is caramelized and starting to crisp (keep an eye on it, as it will cook fairly quickly)
Serve over ice cream, atop cake or on its own.
Enjoy!
UPDATE!!