Griddled Bananas With Nutty Chocolate Custard Food

BANANA TARTLETS WITH CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Steps:

• For custard: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium bowl to blend. Bring milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and rum and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Transfer custard to bowl. Place plastic wrap directly atop surface of custard. Refrigerate overnight.
• For crust: Blend all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in processor. Cut in chilled butter using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/4 cup ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 6 equal balls. Flatten each ball into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll out 1 dough disk to 7-inch round. Transfer to 4 1/2-inch tartlet pan with removable bottom. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, pressing and forming double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Repeat with remaining 5 dough disks. Freeze crusts 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crusts until golden brown and baked through, piercing with fork if crusts bubble, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pans on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in tartlet pans at room temperature.)
• Preheat broiler. Divide custard equally among crusts (generous 1/4 cup for each). Place banana slices decoratively atop each tartlet, covering custard completely. Brush bananas lightly with water. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over bananas on each tartlet. Broil just until sugar melts and bubbles, about 1 1/2 minutes. Garnish with cream, if desired.

BANANA PUDDING CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• For the crust:
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor and pulse until the crumbs resemble coarse meal. Add the melted butter and sugar and pulse until the cookie crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie tin.
• Bake the crust until set and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• For the filling:
• Cover and chill the egg whites. In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, milk, cream, egg yolks, and 1 cup of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not leave the custard unattended while whisking because the egg yolks will cook and make the mixture grainy. Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt. Pour the custard into the baked crust and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• When ready to assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and the cream of tartar. With the mixer on high speed, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.
• Arrange the banana slices in a single layer over the custard. Top the banana slices with the vanilla wafers. Spread the meringue over the wafers, covering the entire pie.
• Bake until the meringue is light brown all over, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 20 minutes before serving.
• Chef's Tip: The secret to making custard pies is controlling the heat of the stove: it should be intense enough to advance the cooking process but not so hot that it scorches the custard.

GRILLED BANANAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Arrange bananas onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar, lemon juice, honey, and orange juice over the bananas; cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.

GRILLED BROWN SUGAR BANANAS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Prepare a medium-low (300°F to 325°F) gas or charcoal grill fire. Without removing the peel, cut each banana in half lengthwise.
• Brush each half banana with lemon juice.
• Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl.
• Generously coat the cut side of the bananas in the sugar mixture.
• Oil the grill grates. Place the banana halves on the grill, peel side up. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn the bananas over and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Remove the bananas from the peels (or serve in the peel) with savory meals or serve them as dessert.

GRILLED BANANAS

Steps:

• Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.
• Slice the bananas, in their skins, in half crosswise and then lengthwise so each banana yields 4 pieces. Set aside on a clean platter. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle the honey on the cut sides of the bananas and sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar. Let the bananas sit for 5 minutes.
• Place the bananas, cut side down, on the center of grill. Grill for 2 minutes or until grill marks appear. Using a pair of tongs, turn them over and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the skin pulls away from the bananas. Remove the bananas from the grill and serve them immediately, on top of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with bourbon or liqueur, if desired.