Bananas Foster

Serves 4-6
Vegetarian / Vegan

This is one of the most impressive, and also one of the easiest desserts to make. It is especially good for a crowd because you can light it on fire, and everyone will think you are magic.

1 banana per person
2 tablespoons of butter per person (if you are vegan, use soy margarine instead)
a few big tablespoons of brown sugar per person
cinnamon
salt
the zest and juice of an orange or two
a few tablespoons of brandy or bourbon (if you plan on lighting this bad boy on fire)
your favorite vanilla ice cream (optional, but highly recommended)

Slice up your bananas. It doesn’t matter how big the pieces are… whatever you think looks nice.

Melt your butter in a large sauté pan, but make sure it doesn’t burn. Add your brown sugar, a few big dashes of cinnamon, a few pinches of salt, and the zest and juice of the oranges. Cook this over medium heat until it all comes together.

Add the bananas and cook them until they begin to soften.

If you plan on flambéing this (lighting it on fire) now is the time to gather your guests and dim the lights. REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE HEAT (unless you want to burn off your eyebrows). Pour in your brandy or bourbon, and immediately return it to the heat. Hold a match or one of those handy long lighters over the pan, and CAREFULLY light it on fire. If you have a gas range, you can try to use the flames from it to light the pan, but please be very, very careful.

Oooooh. Ahhhhh.

Serve the bananas over your favorite vanilla ice cream. (Mine is Double Rainbow French Vanilla.)

This dish also works really well during summer barbeques. Make the sauce in a pan on the grill, and place your bananas, whole, next to them on the fire. Grill them until they are caramelized, and add them to the sauce. Delicious.