Recipe: Bananas Foster

With bananas Foster, the flambéing can get a little out of hand, so it's useful to be careful and less concerned with performance.

Last time I made bananas Foster, I got excited, the pan jumped, and all of a sudden I had bananas Foster dripping off of the TV across the room. This time around, I flambéed sans theatrics, serving the bananas over ice cream.

Serves 4

• 2 bananas, split horizontally and then in half, so you have four pieces per banana


• ½ stick unsalted butter


• ¾ cup brown sugar


• ¼ tsp cinnamon


• ¼ cup dark rum


• ½ tsp vanilla (optional)


• Vanilla ice cream

Melt butter, sugar, and cinnamon together over low heat in a skillet or sauté pan. Stir constantly to dissolve sugar.

Add bananas and cook until the banana starts to soften.

Take your pan off the heat, add the vanilla (if you choose) and rum, and return to the stove. BE CAREFUL! Watch your eyebrows. Flambéing doesn't have to get out of hand. The alcohol should ignite but if it doesn't, tilt the pan so the rum collects in one side closest to the heat. Shake the pan gently as the alcohol burns off.

Serve two pieces (half a banana each) over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, smothered in the sauce.

Sophie Brickman is a writer living and cooking in New York City.