Bananas Foster
Bananas Foster is a New Orleans dessert in which bananas are sauteed in a butter-and-brown-sugar caramel sauce and served over vanilla ice cream. The sauce starts by melting butter with brown sugar in a skillet until the sugar dissolves into a thick caramel. Halved bananas are placed cut-side down into the sauce and cooked just until they warm through and absorb some of the syrup. Ground cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon juice add complexity to the caramel. The traditional preparation involves igniting rum in the pan, though the alcohol step can be omitted at home without losing the core flavor. Spooning the hot caramelized bananas over cold ice cream creates a temperature contrast that defines the dish, and the whole process takes about ten minutes.
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Instructions
- 1
Slice bananas lengthwise and cut into halves.
- 2
Melt butter, then stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.
- 3
Add bananas, cook gently for 2–3 minutes, and add lemon juice.
- 4
Turn off heat when sauce becomes glossy and thick.
- 5
Serve bananas and sauce immediately over ice cream.
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