Pie is lovely and pralines are sweet, but there is one dessert that is somewhat sinful. Creamy butter, spicy cinnamon and sweet-as-molasses brown sugar melds together in a pan, each one getting acquainted with their own lovely accents. The smell of spice fills the air, the creaminess of the butter combined with the sugar creates an exquisitely, thick, melt-in-my-mouth-please sauce. Then the stars are stripped of their bright yellow jackets to reveal a pale, soft yellow center. They jump into a pool of heaven that Augustus Gloop would be tempted to dive into as well. The heated sugar Jacuzzi softens the fruit ever so slightly and once they are relaxed and at ease, they are bombed with rum! Mwahahahaha (insert best evil laugh here)! The stunned and sensational concoction is then poured over anything cold, creamy and decadent. The survivors slowly slide across the velvet cream and alas find peace. There in lies my soul and my heavenly yet sinful bananas foster. Voila, the Big Easy in a bowl.
*This recipe is usually served with vanilla ice cream, but I decided to serve it with creamy cheesecake!
Recipe: Serves 4: Adapted from Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans
½ a stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
4 bananas, peeled and sliced at a diagonal
¼ cup of good, dark rum
Ice cream or cheesecake or by itself!
In a sauté pan over low heat, combine sugar, butter and cinnamon in pan. Stir until dissolved and add the bananas. Whenever the slices begin to brown and soften, carefully add the rum. Allow the flames to subside. Carefully spoon the mixture onto ice cream, whipped cream, cheesecake, or your mouth!