Baja Bananas

This is terrific served as an accompaniment to any plain meat, roast, fish or chicken entree.

4 large, firm bananas
1/2 cup gew

Banana Bites

Vegetable oil (for frying)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beer, or more
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Confectioners

Banana Puffs

1 cup pancake mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
3 bananas
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Confectioners

Bananas Foster

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 bottle banana extract
6 bananas
3 ounces brandy
5 ounces dark rum
Vanilla ice cream

Place butter in an electric skillet. Cover with brown sugar. Pour banana extract over this. Heat until bubbly, about 350 degrees F to 400 degrees F. Add bananas, sliced lengthwise, and halved. Fry bananas until the edges just begin to curl. DO NOT OVERCOOK or they will be very tough. Just right is when they are just translucent and cut easily with a wooden spoon. Add brandy and rum. Flame and stir until flame dies. Immediately serve banana-candy mixture over a deep bowl of vanilla ice cream. It helps to have all the ingredients ready to put into the pan since timing is important. Also, one of the delights of this dessert is the contrast of the hot candy with the cold ice cream.

Start eating as soon as the dish is served.

Strawberry Bananas

6 bananas, sliced
1 box strawberry gelatin, dry

Mix and chill well.

Baked Bananas

4 bananas, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
6 tablespoons apricot or peach preserves
2 tablespoons rum, brandy or water
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 teaspoons butter

Place two banana halves on pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap them with. Mix the preserves and the rum together and spoon over the bananas. Sprinkle with chopped mint and lemon zest, and dot each banana with butter. Wrap in the foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Serve hot or warm.

Serves 4.

Mexican Banana Bake

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup rum
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 medium bananas
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Place cream cheese, sugar, rum, half-and-half, and cinnamon in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth, 30 seconds.

Slice half the bananas into ungreased 1-quart casserole. Dot with butter; spread with half the cheese mixture. Slice the remaining bananas into casserole; spread with remaining cheese mixture. Bake uncovered in 325 degree F oven until hot and bubbly, 20 – 25 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Stuffed Chocolate and Peanut Butter Baked Bananas

4 whole bananas
4 tablespoons peanut butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Lay the bananas so the ends are pointing up. Using a knife, cut a slit down the inside top so you can open it like an envelope, careful not to rip open the peel.

Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter inside each banana add sprinkle with chocolate chips. Close the peel of the banana up and wrap the entire banana in aluminum foil.

Place the bananas on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven and bake about 10 minutes or until the insides of the banana are soft and warm and the chocolate is melted.

Caramel Bananas

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces white rum
4 bananas, sliced
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped peanuts

Heat first four ingredients in a skillet until the sugars caramelize (melt and start to turn brown). Stir in 2 ounces white rum and let cool.

Slice 4 bananas. Arrange 1/2 banana per person on dish, spooning 3 to 4 tablespoons of the caramel sauce over the bananas. Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped peanuts over the caramel sauce.

Yield: 8 portions (1/2 banana each)

Cinnamon Fried Banana

1 large, slightly green banana
2 level tablespoons cinnamon and sugar (mixed)
Butter
Ice cream or cream (if desired)

Slice the banana into equal slices lengthwise. Fry it in a pan on both sides of each slice until slightly brown. Smother butter thinly on banana. Fry further for a few minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on while being fried.

Serve when butter has been cooked in, with ice cream or cream.