Caramelized Plantain Parfait Food

CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• In a 9-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, until the syrup is a light caramel color, about 2 minutes.
• Add the plantains, tossing to coat, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the apple juice and boil 1 minute, or until thickened slightly. Stir in the cinnamon and remove from the heat.
• Divide the plantains among 4 dessert plates and spoon the juices over each.

CARAMELIZED PLANTAIN PARFAIT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook plantains, turning once, until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season with salt.
• Divide yogurt among bowls; top with plantains and mangoes, then nuts, seeds, and/or coconut as desired.

CARAMELIZED PLANTAIN CUPCAKES WITH A CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• 2 tablespoons finely crushed plantain chips
• For the caramelized plantains: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Put the sliced plantains in an 8-inch square baking dish and pour in the butter mixture. Toss the plantains until well coated with the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and mash the plantains with a fork. The yield should be about 2 cups mashed caramelized plantains.
• For the cupcakes:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 cups of 2 standard 12-capacity cupcake pans with liners.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a sifter and sift into a large bowl.
• In another large bowl add the softened butter and granulated sugar and mix, with a hand mixer, until smooth. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and the mashed caramelized plantains until the batter is smooth. Slowly stir in the sifted flour mixture and mix until smooth.
• Evenly spoon the cupcake batter into the 16 liners, filling the cups 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops are light golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• For the chocolate hazelnut cream cheese frosting: Add the cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread and vanilla extract to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, scraping down sides of the bowl, as needed, until the frosting is smooth.
• Assemble the cupcakes: Put the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch diameter decorating tip. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle the top of each cupcake with crushed plantain chips. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

CARAMELIZED RIPE PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Peel the plantains and slice them into 1/2-inch rounds. Heat the butter to foaming in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the plantain slices to the butter and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and slightly caramelized. Sprinkle the plantain slices with the sugar, allow the sugar to caramelize slightly, then remove the plantains from the skillet. Serve warm.
• These plantain slices are also particularly good when served over vanilla ice cream, topped with the caramelized butter from the pan.

CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Peel plantains and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Place in an oven-safe bowl and add 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir to coat plantain slices, cover, and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place covered bowl in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
• Grease a cookie sheet and sprinkle coconut in a thin layer, to allow for even toasting. Place cookie sheet in the oven and continue to bake plantains until coconut is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove both dishes from the oven.
• Portion plantains into bowls. Sprinkle plantains with a thick layer of sugar and use a cooking torch to caramelize the sugar. Top with toasted coconut and serve warm.

CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS WITH BEANS, SCALLIONS AND LEMON

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Leaving the plantain skin on, cut each plantain in half, lengthwise down the middle. Place the plantains cut-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake until tender, and a skewer or knife inserted goes all the way through, about 40 minutes. Remove the plantains and set the broiler to high with a rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat source.
• While the plantains are baking, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ginger and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Whisk to dissolve the brown sugar, then stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• In a large bowl, combine the beans, minced onion and cayenne with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Toss and set aside.
• Once cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, remove the plantain skins and discard. Break each plantain into pieces, about 2 to 3 inches long, and place back on the baking sheet. Drizzle the plantains with the brown sugar mixture and toss to coat. Move the plantains to one side of the baking sheet. Lay the trimmed scallions on the empty side of the sheet and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Rub the oil into the scallions to coat evenly. Season the entire sheet with salt.
• Broil the plantains and scallions until the glaze is set and deeply caramelized in spots, and the scallions are charred along the length of each, about 5 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. If the plantains are at risk of burning, pull the plantains from the oven before the scallions have finished.
• Move the scallions to a board, chop and add to the bowl with the beans. Season the beans with salt, toss to combine and transfer to a serving platter.
• Top the beans with the glazed plantains. Garnish with fresh dill, cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve over a bed of greens, as a vegetarian side, or topped with a jammy egg.

CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Cut peeled plantains in thick wedges or slices.
• Fry plantain in hot cooking oil for 2 minutes, drain, and set apart.
• Mix sugar and vinegar and cook on stovetop to hard ball stage.
• Dip plantains in cooked syrup or pour syrup over them.
• Let cool and serve.

CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Slice plantians 1/2 inch wide.
• Heat skillet over medium heat and add oil.
• When oil is hot add plantains and fry until golden brown and slightly crisp. About 5-8 minutes.
• Sprinkle with sugar and wait until it carmelizes.
• Remove from skillet and drain oil. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.