Bananas Brûlée
Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
up to 1/4 cup sugar (You probably will not need all this, but better safe than sorry! I like to use vanilla sugar here, but you can use regular granulated sugar or brown sugar, too.)
optional: chocolate syrup, dulce de leche, and/or vanilla ice cream for serving
Peel bananas and slice them in half lengthwise. Lay them, cut sides up, on a cooling rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Set baking sheet on cook-top or other heat-proof surface. Generously sprinkle cut surfaces with sugar so that they are covered.
Fire up a torch*** (it’s so fun to say that!). Sweep the torch back and forth over the banana about four inches from the sugar. (The distance you hold the torch from the sugar is dependent on how powerful your torch is. You may find you need to hold it closer or further away. You are looking for bubbling -not scorching- the sugar.) When the sugar has all bubbled up and lightly browned, move on to the next banana half. Repeat until the sugar on all the banana halves has been melted.
Serve while still warm on a plate drizzled with chocolate syrup or with any other goodies you prefer.
***No torch? No problem! You can slide the pan under a hot broiler. Just be sure to stay right nearby and check on it every couple seconds. Things that are neglected in the broiler go from raw to charcoal in no time at all!
