Top Shelf Bananas Foster (Zacapa Premium Rum)

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Diageo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Would you believe that I knew how to make Bananas Foster long before I could make spaghetti? It’s true!

During my high school years (the same years that I was burning fettucini noodles during Home Economics), I spent my summers working at an ice cream parlor.  It wasn’t just any ice cream parlor, though… I learned a lot more than how to scoop ice cream and make a milkshake (though, I did make a mean chocolate milkshake back in the day). There were some pretty fancy ice cream dishes on the menu.  At the age of 16, I had already developed a love of professional stand mixers, piping bags full of meringue, and flambé.

Of course, flambé was my favorite.  What teenager wouldn’t love setting fire to a pan of caramelized bananas? It didn’t hurt that the customers were usually quite impressed by the flaming dish, either.  There would be oohs and ahhhs, and typically bigger tips at the end of the night, too!

Years later, I still find it thrilling to prepare a flambéed dish. So, when I was tasked with developing a recipe using Zacapa premium rum (a premium dark rum made from virgin sugar cane honey instead of molasses), my mind skipped over the obvious drinks and went straight to Bananas Foster.  In my teenage years, working at the ice cream parlor (where most of the employees were under the age of 21), we used a brandy extract for our Bananas Foster. But, after tasting the rum, I knew it would take the dish up a notch – a top shelf Bananas Foster, if you will.

Even though much of the alcohol burns off in the process (But, not all… This isn’t a kid-friendly dish!), the rum you use will make a difference.  The rum adds a great flavor to the caramel syrup in the dish, so a nice dark rum is perfect.  Though it was a bit of a splurge, I loved the flavor of the Zacapa rum (and, I am happy to have it on hand for sipping the future!). If you’re interested in learning more about it, be sure to check out the Zacapa Society (and be eligible to receive some gifts and prizes, too!).

Bananas Foster is an easy and impressive dessert for two.  If you’re planning a date night, it’s definitely a dish I’d recommend!  (Of course, you may want to give it a quick test-drive ahead of time if you’ve never attempted flambé!) I made it for my hubby and I to enjoy in just a few minutes.  It’s also great for entertaining, but I wouldn’t recommend attempting it for more than 4-6 servings at a time. It’s better for an intimate dinner party than for a big gathering!

Top Shelf Bananas Foster

(Serves 2)

• 2 bananas
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/8 cup (or a one ounce shot) of dark rum
• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Start by cutting off the ends of the unpeeled bananas (I find it easier to slice them this way!).  Slice them in half lengthwise and then cut each long banana slice in half so that you have eight pieces of banana. Remove the peels, and set the bananas aside.

Combine the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a skillet over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, stir to combine all of the ingredients.  Allow the mixture to cook without stirring.  The sugar will begin to melt and the sauce will bubble a bit.  Add in the slices of banana, cook for about 1 minute, and then carefully use tongs to flip the banana slices.

Remove the pan from the heat (this is important!), and gradually pour the rum into the pan. Return the pan to the heat, and use a long lighter or kitchen torch to set the alcohol in the dish on fire. (Many recipes tell you to tip the pan into the flame on your stove, but to me that is a recipe for disaster. I much prefer the lighter/torch approach!). Allow the excess alcohol in the dish to burn off.  Swirl the skillet gently as the flames begin to die down, then remove from the heat.

Gently remove the caramelized bananas from the skillet, and place four slices of banana over each scoop of ice cream.  Pour the caramel sauce from the skillet on top of the ice cream and serve immediately.