Caramelized Banana Purses With White Chocolate Sauce Recipes

CARAMELIZED BANANA PURSES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• For Crumble:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Stir sugar and butter in medium saucepan over low heat until butter melts. Remove from heat. Mix in flour, nuts and salt. Spread on baking sheet. Bake until dry and golden, about 30 minutes. Cool. Break into small pieces. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• For Filling:
• Stir sugar, 6 tablespoons butter and lime juice in large nonstick skillet over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and stir until butter melts and mixture begins to brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Add bananas and liqueur; stir until bananas are coated with butter mixture, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and cool.
• Mix 1 cup hazelnut crumble into banana mixture. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface (keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap, then damp towel). Brush phyllo with melted butter. Fold phyllo in half crosswise, brush with butter, then fold in half again, forming square; brush with butter. Place generous 1/4 cup filling in center of phyllo square. Bring all edges of phyllo square up toward center and squeeze firmly at top, forming purse. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets, melted butter and filling, forming total of 10 purses. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Chill.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover phyllo purses loosely with foil. Bake until purses begin to color, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until phyllo is golden, about 15 minutes longer.
• Place 1 purse on each of 10 plates. Spoon 3 tablespoons warm White Chocolate Sauce around each. Sprinkle remaining hazelnut crumble over sauce.

CARAMELIZED BANANA SUNDAES

Steps:

• Peel and slice the bananas into 1/4 inch diagonal slices. Place cut bananas in a shallow dish and toss with lemon juice.
• Melt the butter and brown sugar in a heavy skillet and cook on medium high heat for one minute or until butter is melted. Stir in the bananas tossing to coat. When bananas are nicely glazed remove from heat.
• Place the chocolate chips and half-and-half in a microwave safe measuring cup. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir and microwave again for 10 to 20 seconds if needed. Stir until smooth. Add cinnamon Kahlua or Kahlua substitute.
• Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in an ice cream dish, top with the warm bananas spooning any of the brown sugar glaze over each individual serving. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with toasted chopped walnuts. Garnish each with a maraschino cherries.

BANANA PURSE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
• Line a heavy large cookie sheet with foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl combine bananas and syrup. Mash bananas slightly with a fork. On a clean surface, lay flat 1 sheet of puff pastry. Cut pastry in 1/2 lengthwise. Using a rolling pin, roll out each pastry sheet into a 15 by 5-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle crosswise into thirds, forming 6 squares total. Evenly distribute 1/2 of the banana mixture onto center of each square. Fold corners of pastry into center and pinch ends together, twisting to seal. Repeat with remaining sheet of puff pastry and banana mixture. Arrange pastries on prepared cookie sheet. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush pastries with milk. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over pastries. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place chocolate in small bowl. Bring cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; whisk until smooth. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and chill. Before serving, rewarm in saucepan over low heat, stirring often.)