Cooking Lesson #556: The-Day-After Bananas Foster Waffles

…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Kitchen

How you doin’? In 1951, Brennan’s Restaurant on Bourbon Street was getting rave reviews.  Owen Brennan asked his sister Ella to come up with a fancy new dessert for a dinner honoring Richard Foster for being named chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission.
 
An already-overworked Ella Brennan gathered her chef, Paul Blange, and headwaiter in the kitchen to help her dream up the new dessert. Scanning the kitchen and spying bananas, she thought of a simple dessert her mother had made by splitting bananas and sauteing the halves with butter and brown sugar. To jazz it up, they poured rum and banana liqueur on top, setting the mixture on fire at tableside, tossing in cinnamon to make it sparkle and serving the concoction over vanilla ice cream. And that’s how the classic Bananas Foster was born. I jazzed it up a bit by cooking sliced bananas and walnuts in a buttery rum sauce and serving it over waffles with vanilla ice cream. My version of Bananas Foster is a Christmas morning (or the day after) favorite we all love! Splurge… Add a touch of whipped cream on the top!
 
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
3-1/2 tablespoons rum
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Waffles (see recipe below)
1 pint vanilla ice cream (for this recipe I used Signature brand French vanilla)
 
Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
2. Stir in brown sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon; bring to a low boil.
3. Place the bananas and nuts in the pan. Cook until bananas have softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Serve at once over hot, just-made waffles topped with a scoop of ice cream.

​ChefSecret:  You can use any good quality frozen waffles for this recipe or you can dig out Aunt Ethel’s old Sunbeam waffle iron and whip up some homemade beauties. You’ll make her proud.
 
                          Quick & Easy, Great-Tasting Homemade Waffles
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  3 to 5 minutes per waffle
Yield:  8 to 10 thin waffles
 
Ingredients 
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
nonstick cooking spray as needed
 
Directions

1. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour, milk and melted butter and mix to combine.
4. Whisk in the sugar, then mix in baking powder, salt, and vanilla just until smooth, being careful not to overmix.
5. Spray the preheated waffle iron with nonstick spray.
6. Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown and the iron stops steaming; about 3 to 5 minutes.

Note:  Preheat an oven to 200⁰ F to keep waffles warm until ready to serve.

Quip of the Day:  Holidays are for giving gifts, sleeping in and making waffles.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

#Breakfast #Waffles #BananasFoster #BrennansRestaurant #EllaBrennan #Bananas #IceCream #Rum #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
 
                                                  ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

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