Have you ever been there in New Orleans facing life’s ultimate quandary: whether to order bread pudding or bananas Foster for dessert? Well, I have. And I set out to make that a quandary no more.
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 ripe bananas, sliced into coins
½ cup banana liqueur
½ cup dark rum
5 eggs, beaten
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 cups cubed day-old French bread
Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large (10 X 14 inch) baking dish. Then, make traditional bananas Foster: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of the brown sugar and the cinnamon, stirring until smoothly incorporated. Add the bananas and cook just until soft, depending on their degree of ripeness. Stir in the banana liqueur, then carefully add the rum and flame till the fire burns out. Let mixture cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, the remaining ½ cup brown sugar, cream, milk, vanilla and almond extracts. Add the cooled banana mixture and incorporate. Add the cubed French bread and press into the liquid till all cubes are soaked. Transfer to the buttered baking dish. Bake until firm and golden brown on top, about 1 hour. Cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine the sugar with the water and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until all sugar is dissolved, then allow to bubble without stirring until the mixture turns golden. Don’t let it burn. Stir in the cream, being careful not to splatter, until the sauce is smooth. Drizzle over the slightly cooled bread pudding and serve in squares. Serves 16-18.
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