Caramelised Banana Tartlets Recipes

BANANA CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450F.
• For the Crust: In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar, with an electric mixer, until blended.
• Beat in yolk, vanilla, and salt.
• Add flour and beat until moist clumps form.
• Press dough into bottom of 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Pierce with fork and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Bake crust until golden (about 15 minutes).
• Cool.
• For the Banana Topping: Reduce oven temperature to 375F.
• Overlap banana slices on crust, covering completely.
• Brush melted butter over banana slices and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake until just warmed through (4 minutes).
• Drizzle with some caramel sauce (recipe follows).
• Sprinkle with macadamia nuts.
• Serve with ice cream and pass extra caramel sauce around.
• For Caramel Sauce: In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream over medium low heat until bubbles form, along the edges of the pan.
• Keep warm.
• In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice until well mixed.
• Cover the pot and place it over medium high heat until the sugar melts and bubbles, about 4 minutes.
• Remove the cover and occasionally swirl the pan or stir the mixture until the syrup is a golden amber color, 5 to 8 minutes.
• While cooking, brush the sides of the pan with a wet brush just above the bubbling sugar to keep crystals from forming.
• Stirring constantly, slowly pour in the warm cream.
• Bring to a boil, continuing to stir constantly.
• Cook until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat, add the butter, and stir until the butter melts and the sauce is smooth.
• Serve immediately or cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to two weeks; reheat in a pan of simmering water or a microwave.

CARAMELIZED-BANANA TARTLETS WITH BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE PORT SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Add flour; beat until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Press 1 piece evenly onto bottom and up sides of each of six 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pans with removable bottoms. Bake crusts until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Cool crusts completely in pans on rack. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)
• For filling:
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Add half of bananas to skillet in single layer; cook until bananas brown on bottom, about 45 seconds. Using thin spatula, turn slices over; sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over bananas. Cook until sugar dissolves and turns golden, occasionally swirling pan, about 3 minutes. Turn banana slices over; add 3 tablespoons warm water and continue cooking until caramel thickens slightly, swirling pan, about 2 minutes. Arrange banana slices in each of 3 tartlet crusts; spoon any caramel from skillet over. Clean skillet, then repeat procedure with remaining butter, bananas, sugar, and water. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature. Warm in 350°F oven 10 minutes before continuing recipe.)
• Top each tartlet with scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle each tartlet with Bittersweet Chocolate-Port Sauce and serve.