It's intoxicating, delicious and just a wee bit naughty...of course I'm talking about Downtown Abbey! Last night's show was as much fun to watch as Bananas Foster is to eat...so we did both! After licking our BF dessert bowls clean on Super Bowl Sunday, we realized we didn't get our "fix" fixed...so we had to have another round of Bananas Foster last night...simple, fast, and possibly the best dessert there is...certainly worthy of Valentine's Day - or any other special day, like Sunday night with Downtown...and if you're worried about the alcohol, don't be, it's burned off...well almost...what's left can be considered for medicinal purposes...it'll set you right from top to bottom.
Nice, firm bananas are needed, so don't use the ones you've been saving for banana bread! And, you'll need vanilla ice cream...yes, that is a need not a want (I'm always careful to distinguish between the two as the mister told me when we got married that I could always have everything I need, not everything I want - he had no idea I was such a needy person!) The bananas and their mind-blasting (more extreme than mind-blowing) elixir are scooped/poured over the ice cream and then, for all intents and purposes, the party can begin!
It may not look like much, but let me assure you, it is! This infamous dessert has been served at Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans since 1951, when it was created by Chef Paul for one of Brennan's frequent customers, Richard Foster. Foster was a member of the New Orleans Crime Commission...I'll let you make your own assumptions as to why a chef would name a dessert after a crime commissioner...
Bananas Foster - From Brennan's Restaurant
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
1/4 cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambe pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat, on top of the stove and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, remove pan from heat and carefully add the rum. Return pan to heat and continue to cook the sauce until the rum it hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum or use a flame stick over the top of the pan to ignite. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.