The secret to a long marriage is to avoid confrontation. That takes time. And in the course of that time, the marriage can be strained or flail or fail.
I’m in the safe zone with Suzen. At least five days a week.
She is very sensitive to her cooking. It’s almost, always good to great. But even good things have aspects that deserve comment. Not criticism. Just a word or two. A suggestion. Some loving help.
Very thin ice with Suzen. Very thin.
She was serving banana cake last night for dessert. Suzen has a few favorite dessert recipes and they happen to be plain cakes. Plain, single layer, made in quantity, frozen in advance and readily defrosted for a wonderful ending to a dinner. Last night’s banana cake was ready to eat and delicious sitting there. One layer, no frosting. [You can find the recipe on the blog by searching for Banana Cake from Sweet Chick].
But, I consider plain cake to be plain and sometimes, okay all the time, I want some glamour at the end. It’s dessert, not some religious observance.
So, I searched and found a banana sauce that could be made in less than 10 minutes. It’s really good. My recipe below is an amendment of a sauce from tasteofhome.com. My changes involve a bit more maple syrup and using port instead of rum extract. Extract? Please. I understand the need to avoid alcohol at times, but using rum — or even better port — makes for a far better flavor.
Here’s the thing about banana cake. The layers tend to be dry. Although made with buttermilk or sour cream, those banana cake layers are rarely moist, the way say a chocolate layer can be. While the bananas are largely liquid like any fruit, there is enough “mass” there to sop up the liquid ingredients. By the time you are done and baked, the banana layer may be packed with taste, but your mouth would appreciate some frosting. Or this sauce.
Here you go.
Oh, Suzen’s opinion: “This is really good.”
The defense rests.
Brian’s Banana Sauce
Yield: 2 cups including the bananas
Ingredients:
- ¾ cups packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 bananas, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices
- 2-4 tablespoons of port, depending on your flavor preference
- Something to put the sauce on: cake, ice cream, a spoon, your finger [let it cool first]
Preparation:
In a medium sauce pan [not small because you will be adding over a cup of bananas], place the brown sugar, butter, cream and maple syrup. Stir to mix. Turn the heat on to medium-high and bring to just a simmer. Cook while stirring for 4-5 minutes. If you desire, cook longer to reduce the sauce and thicken it.
Stir in the bananas. Remove from the heat. Stir in the port.
Serve over cake, ice cream, …
Source: Brian O’Rourke