Grilled Bananas And Apricots With Walnut Cookies And Caramel Rum Sauce Recipes

GRILLED BANANAS WITH WALNUT CARAMEL CLOUD NINE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Sauce:
• Preheat grill to high.
• Place all ingredients, except bourbon, in a small saucepan over high heat on the grill. Bring to boil and reduce by 1/3 until thickened. Remove from heat, add bourbon, and reduce by half. Remove from grill, cool slightly, and pour into a plastic container. As the sauce cools, it will thicken more.
• Bananas:
• Brush bananas with whiskey. Place bananas over medium-low heat on the grill. Generously sprinkle cinnamon over banana. Grill for 2 minutes and remove from the grill to a plate. Pour 1/2 cup of whiskey over bananas. Return bananas to the grill until a little charred. Flip bananas over to char the other side.
• To assemble: Crumble brownies into 2 martini glasses, lay sliced bananas in an ornate fashion around rim of glass, and top with sauce.

CARAMEL APRICOT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust rack to middle position. Coat two cookie sheets lightly with no-stick cooking spray.
• BEAT brown sugar and shortening in medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, water, vanilla and salt. Beat until well combined. Add flour on low speed until well blended.
• BEAT egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy. Place pecans in a separate shallow bowl. Measure about two teaspoons dough for each cookie. Form into balls by rolling between your palms. Dip each dough ball into egg whites, then roll into pecans. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a teaspoon or your thumb, make a rounded indentation in the top of each cookie.
• BAKE 10 minutes. Remove from oven. It may be necessary to create the indentation once again with a spoon. Place about 1/2 teaspoon caramel topping into the indentation of each cookie. Then place about 1/2 teaspoon preserves on top of the caramel. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for several minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

CARAMELIZED BANANA WITH RUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté banana, cut sides down, shaking skillet, 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat (away from flame) and sprinkle brown sugar around banana, then pour rum around banana. Return skillet to heat and continue to sauté, shaking skillet occasionally, until sugar begins to melt, about 30 seconds.
• Add water, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve banana hot, sprinkled with nuts.

BANANAS FOSTER ON THE GRILL

Steps:

• Trim ends and cut unpeeled bananas lengthwise; place on oiled grill rack over medium heat. Grill, covered, until peel is dark brown and bananas are softened, 3-4 minutes on each side. Cool slightly., Meanwhile, in a small cast-iron skillet or 9-in. disposable foil pie pan, combine butter, syrup and caramel topping; place on grill rack. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until heated through, 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat., Remove peel from bananas; cut each half crosswise. To serve, place ice cream in dessert dishes; top with bananas. Drizzle with sauce; sprinkle with crushed wafers.

HONEY-RUM GRILLED BANANAS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine rum, honey and cinnamon; set aside. Cut bananas in half lengthwise, leaving the peel on. , Place bananas cut side down on grill. Cover and grill over medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn and brush with honey mixture. Cover and grill until tender, 5-6 minutes. Peel bananas. Serve immediately with ice cream.

BANANA-WALNUT SPRING ROLLS WITH CARAMEL-RUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) and stir until caramel bits dissolve. Remove from heat. Mix in rum. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Before serving, rewarm over low heat, stirring occasionally.)
• Make rolls:
• Arrange 4 spring roll wrappers on work surface (keep remainder covered). Place 1 banana piece diagonally across 1 corner of each wrapper. Brush opposite corner with water. Drizzle each banana with 1 teaspoon caramel sauce, 1 teaspoon toffee bits and 1 teaspoon walnuts. Fold in wrapper corner closest to banana. Roll wrapper over banana once, then fold in sides and roll up as for egg roll, pressing ends to seal. Repeat filling and rolling remaining wrappers. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Pour enough oil into heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 3 inches. Heat oil to 375°F. Working in batches, fry rolls in oil until deep golden brown, turning frequently, about 3 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer rolls to paper towels and drain. Arrange 2 rolls on each plate. Sift powdered sugar over. Sprinkle with five-spice powder. Drizzle caramel sauce around rolls and serve.