I just can't help it, I've got the Big Easy on my brain. And if the past few weeks' baking is any sign (which, um, is totally is), y'all have a lot of purple, green, and yellow sprinkles headed your way.
Mardi Gras reminds me of our honeymoon in New Orleans, and although it's been one year, I'm still thinking about the food we ate while there. I was so desperate to fit in all the food I wanted to eat, that I even ate Bananas Foster for breakfast one day. I'm not proud of my decision, except I am. I refer to eating copious amounts of regional cuisine as 'research in my field'. Or, 'necessary fine tuning of my palate'. But really, it's an extended farewell to my skinny jeans {insert slow wave and rear-view mirror shot here}.
The New Orleans restaurant Brennans invented Bananas Foster in the 1950s. The dessert consists of bananas cooked in a brown sugar, cinnamon butter sauce that is then flambéed table-side with banana liquor and rum just before serving. It's heavenly, even if you don't like bananas. Seriously. I'm not the biggest fan of bananas, but when they're cooked this way, they take on a slightly acidic flavor; it tastes like they were sprinkled with lemon juice. They taste fresh, not mushy, though they definitely appear to be mushy. To me, banana bread severely misses the mark on the flavor of baked bananas. The flavor gets lost in the bread mix somewhere. The pinnacle for a banana is to be cooked in brown sugar butter sauce.
Bananas Foster is typically served over vanilla ice cream. However, I spun the flavors into mini upside down cakes. The cakes are submerged and crowned with a brown sugar rum butter sauce. The cake is cinnamon and rum flavored. The pecans are crunchy, and the banana, well, you know, the banana is at its apex of flavor potential.
In the bottom of a mini muffin pan, a teaspoon of the sauce is topped by a slice of banana and a sprinkling of toasted pecans.
Then, two teaspoons of cake batter is dolloped on top.
The rest of the brown sugar butter sauce is warmed and poured on the cakes after they come out of the oven.
Hubba hubba:
My other New Orleans recipes
The cake is cinnamon and rum flavored. The pecans are crunchy, and the banana is at its apex of flavor potential!Bananas Foster Baby Cakes
Ingredients
For the sauce:
For the cakes:
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 130Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
CUTEST!!! most adorable thing EVER!!! I love bananas foster and this takes the cake (no pun intended) for the most creative way to do it! Pinned! I just wish I could pop a few of these down right now!
Joanne says
I did not eat ENOUGH bananas foster when I was in NOLA last year! Guess this means I absolutely *must* return. ASAP. You are more than welcome to come with...but bring these for the plane ride.
Julie says
This is one of those desserts that's really dessert for one. Because I wouldn't share this. Don't you just love the food of New Orleans? It's no wonder that my grandmother would go there to buy a spool of thread. Brennan's is where the girls (Stephie and her cousins, who were 8, 9 and 10 at the time) discovered that the bathroom was a highlight. I discovered that their gumbo was close to my grandmother's and finished the meal with bananas foster. What a delightful evening that was!! I'm ready to go back. Like today.
Cookbook Queen says
That sauce on top!! OMG
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Gah!! These are too freaking cute. I love it!
Christina says
Mom of the year award for taking your kids to Brennans! :) I'm ready to go back soon too! Are you free tomorrow? ;)
tanya says
These are too cute to bear!! Banana's Foster Baby Cake is the best idea ever! They look fabulous Christina!
Cassie says
We are going to NOLA next month for the first time ever and I'm so giddy about the food. Love these!!
DessertForTwo says
omg please tell me all about it, Cassie! One word of advice: don't listen to anyone's restaurant recommendations except Southern Living magazine. Even that well-known blogger that loves to wax about NOLA? You know who I'm talking about! Every suggested restaurant by her was crap. Enjoy :)
Leah | So, How's It Taste? says
Ah, these are so cute! I love bananas foster but don't eat it nearly enough. I'm drooling over that sauce!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
Bring on the Big Easy and sprinkles!!!!! I want to pop every one of these gorgeous nuggets right into my pie hole. Bananas foster for bfast? I only respect you more.
Jen of My Tiny Oven says
Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin... that sauce, my god!!