The first part of November is never about holiday shopping plans for me; it is about gift giving preparation. Every year, I make a basket of goodies for my best friends and family. I’ve learned over the past several years that I had better not wait as it’s best to get things done and in the mail by the 10th of December…I would rather recipients use the packaged goodies for their holiday then open them on Christmas Day.
Baskets typically include long time holiday favorites including my Grandmother Lizette’s’ Pecan Butter Balls (above) and my Favorite Fruitcake (don’t be afraid…there is nary one of those nasty green or yellow awful citron things in it!). I always buy unscented candles so that I can save the scraps and re-purpose them by making homemade candles with herbs from my garden. The basket also includes something that requires spices of the season so that I can attach the recipe and packets of spices from Savory Spice Shop; last year it was Molasses Cookies so I attached ginger, cinnamon and cloves; I love that the package smells like the holiday when it’s opened!
Last year I did something different and made Cranberry Liqueur. It was a huge hit so there is some pressure to create something that recipients will enjoy just as much this year. And I do believe this is it!
I’ve been in love with Bananas Foster from the first time I tried it. My husband and I had gone back to St. Louis to visit family after moving to Raleigh, NC and we went to dinner one night and had Bananas Foster Crepes for dessert. A dessert crepe filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with Bananas Foster; a mixture of brown sugar and butter that bananas are sauteed in and then flambeed with rum. I was in love. I went out THE NEXT DAY and bought a crepe maker and a crepe cookbook and though I’ve progressed over the years to making crepes without an appliance, I still use that same recipe for special occasions.
With that inspiration I decided to make a caramel sauce with those same flavor components with the expectation that gift recipients will just have to slice bananas into the sauce, warm slightly and serve over vanilla ice cream (or crepes with vanilla ice cream!). It worked perfectly, was simple and decadent and I’m not kidding, I could have did eat it with a spoon!
I’ve made caramel sauce using two methods. One requires you heat sugar in a pan until it melts and turns a warm brown color and the other starts with sugar and water which has to cook a bit longer to cook off the water but it is a bit less risky…so we’ll go that direction.
Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rum Caramel Sundae
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup half and half (many recipes for caramel sauce call for heavy cream; I’ve had great success with half and half but if you want an even richer end result, by all means substitute an equal amount of heavy cream)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp rum (I used dark but either light or dark will work)
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped and toasted California walnuts (follow @CaWalnuts on Twitter!)
Preparation
- Whisk cinnamon and rum into half and half and set aside.
- Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- Once mixture starts to boil, turn heat to medium-low and stop whisking.
- Continue to boil until the mixture turns amber, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove pan from the stove and add butter; whisk in butter as it melts.
- When butter has melted, whisk in half and half mixture; it will bubble vigorously; just continue whisking til smooth.
- Cool; will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks (that theory has never been tested; it disappears too fast!).
Serving Suggestions
Pour 2-3 Tbsps of sauce per serving into a small non stick skillet. Add sliced bananas and heat til warmed.
Top vanilla ice cream with bananas and sauce and sprinkle with toasted walnuts or put two scoops of ice cream on a crepe, roll it up and cover with the bananas and sauce mixture and toasted walnuts.
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I live in St. Louis and can not find Bananas Foster ANYWHERE! What restaurant did you eat those crepes at?
It’s moments like this where diets don’t matter. sounds divine.
This looks divine. One, ok two questions. How many servings does this make? For example, can I put in jars for gifts?
I doubled the recipe for each batch that I made and it almost perfectly fit into three 6-oz canning jars. Servings all depends on how much each person needs on their ice cream so I would say from 4-6 for that size jar.
What a great idea, giving goodies as gifts. It’s cheap and I’ve found that when I’ve received yummy treats as gifts, it’s always more meaningful than a gift card, cause I know some love went into making it. Yes, I know that’s cheesy, but that’s me. Anyway, this caramel sauce sounds and looks divine. Thanks for sharing. Looks like the perfect topping for vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Hi, your blog is so filled with such delicious recipes. How lucky for your friends to receive treats like these for the holidays. I checked out your Cranberry Liqueur too and I can totally see why it was such a huge success.
Thank you…and I sure hope so. This year might prove to be tougher than others as I’m still hopping on one good leg while one I broke is taking just a bit longer than I thought it possibly EVER could to heal so let’s see if they love me…or just my basket of goodies!
Your Bananas Foster looks great, one of my favorites :)
Great Christmas items your come up with. I love the Cranberry Liqueur! I’m sure your have wonderfully happy recipients!
Thank you…hoping this year I can do a better job of spelling. I’m a stickler, or thought…seeing liqueur misspelled over and over is enough to have me make again and get a do-over!
Barb, Barb, Barb – you have never, ever steered me wrong and this recipe is worthy to just eat straight out of the pan! You bet your sweet bippy I’m all over this one!
And I would never. This turned out so perfect Deb. I had a bit of concern about the hot caramel making the alcohol burn; probably crazy but I did. So, that’s one reason I added it to the half and half mixture and it was no problem. No problem with flaming and not much with devouring the whole thing far too quickly!
Oh yes – totally worth burning a finger for! Yu,!
one word…YUM!!!!
Thanks Sonya, and this is definitely the definitive word!
These look fantastic! I’ll make it tonight! THANK YOU!
Let me know if you made it; would love to hear.
Oh my… I can think of so many things to use this sauce for I am going to have to make some of this!!!
I always have the best plans to make homemade baskets of goodies… alas it has yet to happen – but you have definitely inspired me!!!
You have no idea how much I have been waiting for you to post your caramel sauce recipe and to combine it with Bananas Foster! Wow! I’m delighted and can’t wait to try this. Thank you for posting.
You are such a lovely lady to take the time to make all these home-made gifts for friends and family. I think it is so neat that you make your own herb scented candles as well. Your talents are as far reaching as your generosity.
WHoa- THIS looks absolutely delicious. BIG bananas foster fan here :)
OH. MY. GOODNESS. This looks so delicious and yummy that I think I may prefer it to a cupcake. ;) Did I hit all the key words? But seriously, now I need some of this STAT.
Or at the very least on a yummy, delicious cupcake. Awesome huh? :)
Barb,
Yummo!!! I’m drooling! Looks Amazing!! Love your mouthwatering pics! :)
I love homemade gifts like this. And that liquor…yum. Barb this is a beautiful looking dessert.
Thanks Lea Ann; I fear I have spoiled some people and now the pressure is on. After the year I’ve had…hoping my usual suspects will be so enamored with caramel they won’t notice if nothing else is included?
Mmmmmm!! That looks amazing!! I. Want.
I’ll happily trade you for some beignets; would that work?
Bananas Foster was one of the first desserts I made as a kid (when I thought I might be a future Chef). It has many fond memories and is a classic I always return to. I like your addition of flavors with the cinnamon and nuts. This would make a really nice dessert for my dinner tonight! ;)
I just love it…and funny thing too cause I’m not that big on a lot of desserts with bananas. Must be the rum, huh?
This looks gorgeous and delicious–thanks for sharing!
Love Bananas Foster too. Now why did you print this? You are supposed to bottle and sell it!
When I can fully manage my web business, my blog and my gift biz and still have time available…sure I’ll get into the food biz too!