Caramelized Banana Tartlets With Bittersweet Chocolate Port Sauce Recipes

BANANA TARTLETS WITH CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Steps:

• For custard: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium bowl to blend. Bring milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and rum and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Transfer custard to bowl. Place plastic wrap directly atop surface of custard. Refrigerate overnight.
• For crust: Blend all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in processor. Cut in chilled butter using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/4 cup ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 6 equal balls. Flatten each ball into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll out 1 dough disk to 7-inch round. Transfer to 4 1/2-inch tartlet pan with removable bottom. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, pressing and forming double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Repeat with remaining 5 dough disks. Freeze crusts 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crusts until golden brown and baked through, piercing with fork if crusts bubble, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pans on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in tartlet pans at room temperature.)
• Preheat broiler. Divide custard equally among crusts (generous 1/4 cup for each). Place banana slices decoratively atop each tartlet, covering custard completely. Brush bananas lightly with water. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over bananas on each tartlet. Broil just until sugar melts and bubbles, about 1 1/2 minutes. Garnish with cream, if desired.

BANANA CHOCOLATE TART WITH CARAMEL AND CHOCOLATE SAUCES

Steps:

• To make the tart shells: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the bottom of each of 4 ring molds each 2 inches in diameter. Pack the mixture firmly into the molds. (You will have more dough than you need for 4 molds. Because the tiny tart shells are fragile and time-consuming to make, it is a good idea to line additional ring molds with the remaining dough in case of breakage.) Place the molds on a nonstick drying sheet on a dehydrator shelf and dehydrate at 105°F for 3 hours. Remove the tart shells from the drying sheet and dehydrate directly on the shelf for about 10 hours longer, or until just dry.
• To make the Caramel Sauce: Drain the cashews, pat them dry, and then measure them. You should have 1/4 cup; discard any excess. In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, Cashew Milk, honey, Date Paste, and maple syrup and process until smooth. Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside 4 tablespoons for the tarts; reserve the remainder for another use.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of the Mexican Chocolate Sauce in a circle on each plate. Put a tart shell on top of the sauce. Spread 2 tablespoons of the Chocolate Fudge-Almond on the tart shell. Arrange 7 banana slices on top. Drizzle 1 tablespoon Caramel Sauce over the bananas and on the plate. Sprinkle with the Honey Walnuts.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL TARTLETS WITH ROASTED BANANAS AND GINGER-CITRUS CARAMEL

Steps:

• Sift flour and cocoa into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Beat in flour mixture. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 5-inch-diameter plate or bowl as guide, cut out rounds. Reroll dough scraps if necessary to form four 5-inch rounds total. Press each dough round onto bottom and up sides of 4 1/4- to 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Pierce crusts all over with fork. Freeze crusts 10 minutes. Bake until firm to touch and beginning to pull away from sides of pans, about 15 minutes. Cool crusts completely in pans on rack.
• Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and caramel is smooth. Whisk in butter. Set aside.
• Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy small saucepan. Add star anise; remove from heat. Cover; let steep 15 minutes. Discard star anise. Return mixture to boil. Remove from heat. Add 4 1/2 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter; whisk ganache topping until smooth.
• Stir 1 ounce finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted. Brush inside of each crust with melted chocolate, then sprinkle each with 1 generous teaspoon chopped cashews. Spoon caramel filling over nuts in crusts (about 2 tablespoons for each). Chill tartlets until caramel sets slightly, about 30 minutes.
• Rewarm chocolate ganache topping just until pourable, if necessary. Spoon chocolate ganache atop caramel filling. Refrigerate just until ganache sets, about 45 minutes, then let tartlets stand at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover tartlets loosely and let stand at room temperature.)
• Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until medium (not deep) amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; slowly add orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Return mixture to boil, stirring until any caramel bits dissolve. Boil until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat just until pourable.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar; whisk until blended, about 1 minute. Add banana slices and toss to coat. Transfer banana mixture to small baking sheet. Bake until bananas begin to brown slightly around edges and sugar mixture bubbles, about 4 minutes.
• Remove sides from tartlet pans. Place tartlets on plates. Drizzle ginger caramel sauce around tartlets. Arrange banana slices alongside. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cashews and serve.
• *Brown star-shaped seedpods sold at Asian markets, at specialty foods stores, and in the spice section of some supermarkets

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.