Banana Pancakes

This is my new favourite weekend morning breakfast! The only problem is, I have to patiently wait all week for a couple of bananas to overripen: rare in our house. I used this recipe but substituting homemade buttermilk (milk with some lemon juice left for a few minutes); I reckon real buttermilk would give an even fluffier result. I halved this recipe to make enough for two.

Ingredients

• 200g (1 1/3 cups) plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 55g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 250g mashed banana
• 330ml (1 1/3 cups) buttermilk
• 40g butter, melted

Combine all of the ingredients together, stirring until the flour is no longer visible. Fry in dollops until golden brown (about a minute) and then flip for another minute. Serve with sour cream, maple syrup, and strawberries.

Banana Split

MONSTER CRAVING!! I blame the afternoon swim plus a light vegetarian meal :) This is a couple of bananas sliced lengthwise, some really excellent Italian-style gelato, some stewed plum juice, and a chocolate sauce from melting a couple of squares of Whittakers dark, whisked together with a little milk. Totally decadent and delicious :D

Serves two!

Brandy Bananas

Dessert posts are like buses... none for the whole blog and then two come along at once! The SO and I went for a run this evening so we were extra-hungry after our leftover guinea fowl. So I sliced a couple of (Fairtrade) bananas lengthwise, and improvised along the theme of yesterday's dessert, but this time with alcohol and fire, which of course only make things even better. The first time we set fire to the pan we had a magnificent fireball and I nearly lost my eyebrows; I ran to get my camera and we repeated the experiment. (Apologies for the focus being out; I forgot to reset it). The second fireball, while safer, was not quite as impressive. In either case... be careful at the flambé stage!

Ingredients:

• two ripe Fairtrade bananas
• a thin slice of butter
• 1 tsp demerara sugar
• a shot or two of strong rum or brandy

Peel and slice the bananas lengthwise. Drop the butter into a heavy-based (not non-stick) pan and melt over a moderate heat. When it begins to froth, add the bananas flat-side down and sprinkle over the sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the flat sides have caramelised, then turn over.

Pour the brandy into a cap or shot glass. Light a long match and get it burning. In a swift movement, pour the brandy into the pan, stand back, and hold the match just over the pan. If it was suitably hot, you'll get a nice fireball! If it was a little cool, the brandy will burn in the pan; either is fine. Immediately remove from the heat and serve over vanilla ice cream or yoghurt. If your timing is good, and you use plenty of brandy, you have every chance of serving this to guests while it's still on fire. Shiny!