Banana Brulée Food

BANANA BRULéE

Steps:

• To make the bananas brulée, quarter the bananas lengthwise (peel on) and rub into sugar to coat thoroughly.
• Remove peel and place on cooling rack over several layers of foil. (Don't try this on your dining room table.).
• Don your safety goggles and fire up your torch. Hold the torch so that the very tip of the flame barely touches the banana, and move quickly back and forth until the sugar melts, turns brown, and bubbles. As soon as it looks like caramel, move on. You know you've got it down when a solid, glasslike sheet of gold (no graininess) has formed on the banana.

BANANA, GINGER, AND BERRY CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Warm half-and-half in a saucepan until almost boiling and set aside to cool. In a bowl, beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until mixture turns pale. Slowly beat in small amounts of warm half-and-half until all is incorporated. Set custard mixture aside. Peel 1 1/2 bananas and slice thin, reserving other 1/2 banana for later. Wash berries.
• Place some banana slices and a few berries in the bottom of 8 individual ramekins or custard cups. Sprinkle ground ginger evenly over bananas in each cup. Pour custard over fruit in each cup.
• Place ramekins in baking pan. Add water to about halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake for 1 hour or until tops are golden. Cool in refrigerator. Top each cooled ramekin with a few slices of the remaining banana. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Place ramekins under broiler until sugar is melted and brown.
• Garnish with remaining berries and 1 or 2 leaves of fresh mint.

BANANA SPLITSVILLE

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small, heavy saucepan and place over high heat. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, heat your thermometer under warm tap water (to prevent thermal shock) and attach to side of pan, making sure that the bulb is completely submerged. Do not stir the mixture or agitate the pan at this stage.
• When the mixture reaches 230 degrees, reduce the heat to medium and allow the sugar to color gradually. As the temperature approaches 300 degrees the color will start to turn to amber. At this point, it's safe to swirl the pan gently to help distribute the heat evenly. As the caramel heads towards 340 degrees, it will reach a deep amber color.
• Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir with a metal spoon, allowing it to cool until the caramel falls from the spoon in a solid stream, like a string. When it does, it's doodad time.
• Form doodads by holding the spoon 12 to 16 inches over the caramel and drizzling the patterns on the parchment. (Hint: allow the spoon to unload into the pan for a few seconds before attempting doodad. This will allow a narrower stream.) Quick back and forth motions or side to side movements are best. It's all in the wrist. Allow doodads to cool for 15 minutes then peel the paper off (not the other way around). Stack in an airtight container with wax paper between each piece.
• After making 15 to 20 doodads, you should have sufficient caramel remaining to move on to the sauce phase. So, return the remaining caramel to medium high heat and continue cooking until you see the first sign of smoke. Immediately remove from the heat, and add the cream, all at once, at arms length. (It will boil furiously.) Once the mixture calms down, return to medium heat and boil 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature, move to squirt bottle and refrigerate for up to a week.
• To make the bananas brulee, quarter the bananas (peel on) and rub into sugar to coat thoroughly. Remove peel and place on cooling rack over several layers of foil. (Don't try this on your dining room table.) Don your safety goggles and fire up your torch. Hold the torch so that the very tip of the flame barely touches the banana, and move quickly back and forth until the sugar melts, turns brown, and bubbles. As soon as it looks like caramel, move on. You know you've got it down when a solid, glasslike sheet of gold (no graininess) has formed on the banana.
• To do the split (so to speak), squirt a pattern of caramel sauce on a chilled plate, top with 4 banana pieces (Lincoln log style), top with the ice cream of your choice (we like our peachy vanilla from Churn Baby Churn), and finally, a doodad.

BANANA TAPIOCA BRULEE

Steps:

• Beat egg and milk with wire whisk in medium saucepan until well blended. Add granulated sugar and tapioca; stir until well blended. Let stand 5 min.
• Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into shallow 1-qt. baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, placing wrap directly on surface of pudding. Refrigerate 2 hours or until completely cooled. (Pudding thickens as it cools.)
• Preheat broiler just before serving. Uncover pudding. Arrange banana slices in single layer over pudding. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Broil, 3 inches from heat, 2 to 3 min, or until sugar is melted and caramelized.

BANANA CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300. Prepare some boiling water.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, banana puree and 2 T. sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally until small bubbles appear around edges of pan. Set aside.
• In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth and light. Pour hot cream mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time, beating continuously until well blended. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Divide mixture among 4 ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and place on middle shelf of preheated oven. Fill pan with boiling water to halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until custard is just set, about 25 minutes. (this took an additional 9 minutes for mine, as I have deeper ramekins) Chill 2-3 hours.
• Slice bananas horizontally into 1/2" slices and arrange on top of chilled creme brulees. Sprinkle remaining sugar over tops of bananas. With cooking torch, move flame econtinuously over the surface of the ramekins, in a circular motion until sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly. (this is where I failed. I was afraid to add the entire 1/3 cup sugar, so didn't get enough carmelized effect) Serve immediately.

BRILLIANT BANANA BRULEE

Steps:

• Thinly slice the bananas and share amongst fire-proof dishes.
• Mix the Greek yoghurt and custard, and spoon over the top of the bananas.
• Sprinkle sugar over the top and either use a cooks blow torch or put the dishes under the grill. Heat until the sugar carmelises.
• Serve up to your delighted family or guests!

BANANA SPLITSVILLE

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small, heavy saucepan and place over high heat. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, heat your thermometer under warm tap water (to prevent thermal shock) and attach to side of pan, making sure that the bulb is completely submerged. Do not stir the mixture or agitate the pan at this stage.
• When the mixture reaches 230 degrees, reduce the heat to medium and allow the sugar to color gradually. As the temperature approaches 300 degrees the color will start to turn to amber. At this point, it's safe to swirl the pan gently to help distribute the heat evenly. As the caramel heads towards 340 degrees, it will reach a deep amber color.
• Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir with a metal spoon, allowing it to cool until the caramel falls from the spoon in a solid stream, like a string. When it does, it's doodad time.
• Form doodads by holding the spoon 12 to 16 inches over the caramel and drizzling the patterns on the parchment. (Hint: allow the spoon to unload into the pan for a few seconds before attempting doodad. This will allow a narrower stream.) Quick back and forth motions or side to side movements are best. It's all in the wrist. Allow doodads to cool for 15 minutes then peel the paper off (not the other way around). Stack in an airtight container with wax paper between each piece.
• After making 15 to 20 doodads, you should have sufficient caramel remaining to move on to the sauce phase. So, return the remaining caramel to medium high heat and continue cooking until you see the first sign of smoke. Immediately remove from the heat, and add the cream, all at once, at arms length. (It will boil furiously.) Once the mixture calms down, return to medium heat and boil 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature, move to squirt bottle and refrigerate for up to a week.
• To make the bananas brulee, quarter the bananas (peel on) and rub into sugar to coat thoroughly. Remove peel and place on cooling rack over several layers of foil. (Don't try this on your dining room table.) Don your safety goggles and fire up your torch. Hold the torch so that the very tip of the flame barely touches the banana, and move quickly back and forth until the sugar melts, turns brown, and bubbles. As soon as it looks like caramel, move on. You know you've got it down when a solid, glasslike sheet of gold (no graininess) has formed on the banana.
• To do the split (so to speak), squirt a pattern of caramel sauce on a chilled plate, top with 4 banana pieces (Lincoln log style), top with the ice cream of your choice (we like our peachy vanilla from Churn Baby Churn), and finally, a doodad.

HOT BANANA CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Break 1 banana into pieces and purée in a blender with lemon juice, granulated sugar, and yolks until smooth. In a very small saucepan heat cream over moderate heat until hot and add banana mixture, stirring until combined well. Divide mixture between two 2/3-cup ramekins. Put ramekins in a metal baking pan and fill pan with enough boiling-hot water to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Put pan in middle of oven and lay a sheet of foil over each ramekin. Bake custards until set, about 30 minutes.
• Set broiler rack so that custard tops will be 1 1/2 to 2 inches from heat and change oven setting to broil. Alternatively, have ready a blowtorch.
• Just before serving, very thinly slice remaining banana and arrange slices, overlapping them, over each custard. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over bananas and heat under broiler (or with blowtorch, moving flame evenly back and forth just over sugar) until sugar is melted and caramelized.

BANANA CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the bananas, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of white sugar. Stir well to blend the sugar and butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. The bananas should be lightly caramelized. Mash the bananas with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice to the mixture, raise the heat to high, add the brandy, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, divide among 6 wide, shallow creme brulee dishes, and let cool. Place the heavy cream in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the cream with the tip of a knife. Add the scraped-out vanilla bean, and bring the cream just to a boil, then remove from heat. Reserve. Place the egg yolks and 5 tablespoons of white sugar in the top of a double boiler. Whisk them together, then stir over simmering water until the mixture becomes fairly thick (about 15 minutes). Strain the reserved cream into eggs, and stir the mixture over simmering water for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and ladle over the cooled banana puree in the 6 dishes. Place the dishes in a roasting pan, and fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the dishes from the pan, and chill them for at least 3 hours.
• When you are ready to serve, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar over each dish, distributing evenly. Place the dishes on a bed of cracked ice in a roasting pan, and position the pan under a broiler until the sugar caramelizes. Watch carefully, and move the dishes around so the sugar browns evenly but doesn't char. Remove and serve while the crust is still hot.

EASY BANANA CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Spread wafer pieces onto bottom of shallow 1-1/2-qt. casserole; top with bananas.
• Cook pudding with 2 cups milk as directed on package; pour over bananas. Refrigerate several hours or until firm.
• Heat broiler when ready to serve dessert. Sprinkle sugar over pudding. Broil 3 to 5 min. or until sugar is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

BANANA TOAST BRULéE

Steps:

• Turn your oven broiler on high.
• Lightly toast your bread - either in your toaster or under the broiler.
• Arrange your four slices of bread on a cookie sheet.
• Spread 1/4 cup of yogurt over each slice of bread.
• Arrange sliced bananas over yogurt, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar evenly over each slice of bread.
• Place the baking sheet under the broiler until the sugar starts to bubble and turn dark, about 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Alternately, you can use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar.

BANANA CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Have pot of boiling water ready.
• Peel 1 of the bananas and cut in thirds. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, cut banana and the 1/4 cup sugar.
• Cook, stirring, until steam rises, 4 to 5 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and vanilla until blended.
• Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl; discard the cooked banana. Pour the cream into the yolks, a little at a time, stirring constantly until smooth; divide among four 6-oz. ramekins.
• Line a 3-inch-deep baking pan with a kitchen towel, place the ramekins in the pan and add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover loosely with foil and bake until set, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove the ramekins from the pan, cool to room temperature and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
• Peel the remaining banana and slice crosswise into slices 1/8 inch thick. Arrange 7 or 8 slices over the top of each crème brûlée and sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each surface.
• With a kitchen torch, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns. Serve immediately.

BANANA AND CARDAMOM CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the cardamom and bananas, mashing them a bit into the milk. Turn the heat to medium-high and when it comes to a boil, turn the heat off and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Leave to infuse for 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the sugar until thick and pale. Strain the hot milk, and then slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into 4 shallow creme brulee dishes or ramekins, place in a baking pan large enough to accommodate them and pour enough water into the pan to come halfway up the dishes. Bake until set but still slightly jiggly, about 30 minutes. If they aren't done at this point, continue to check them every 5 minutes until they are set. Remove from the water bath and let cool slightly on the counter top. Put them in the refrigerator to finish cooling for about an hour.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar evenly on top of each creme brulee. Melt the sugar with a blowtorch, or alternatively place under a broiler until it has caramelized. Serve immediately.

BANANA OATMEAL BREAKFAST BRULéE

Steps:

• Combine milk, rolled oats, salt and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a large saucepan and mix well.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Continue to cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
• Spoon 1 cup of the oatmeal into each of oven-proof bowls spreading evenly.
• Spread 1/4 cup of yogurt over each bowl.
• Arrange sliced banana over yogurt, then sprinkle each remaining brown sugar.
• Arrange the dishes on a baking sheet or in a large baking pan and place under a preheated broiler until the sugar starts to bubble and turn dark, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately. Alternately, you may use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar.