I just reread that. “Bananas Foster Waffle”.
It reads like a WEEKLY WORLD NEWS headline, like some waffle was abandoned in a remote dumpster, and a family of overripe Chiquitas raised it as one of their own.
Anyway, I had been toying with possible ways of crafting this: Do the bananas and the flavorings go INSIDE the waffle? Do they go ATOP a plain waffle as a syrupy garnish? The answer to both questions turned out to be:
YES. Yes, indeed.
The flavors carry through to the waffle itself and flow all over the top, making it not only delicious to eat but to look at. This is barely imaginable without a scoop of ice cream accompanying. It’s the difference between “merely awesome” and “truly awesome” and you should go for the latter. Truly.
Liberties have been taken for purposes of taste and texture; there is also no flambe-ing, though flaming is completely up to the proclivities of the chef. Also, I’ve given a non-alcoholic option that worked out JUST fine in terms of taste, so don’t even sweat it if you care to go this route. I wanted this relatively easy, universally attainable, and overwhelmingly satisfying. And when I tried my luck and pulled the arm on the slot machine…
Banana. Banana. Banana.
Jackpot.
2 Bananas
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup oatmeal (instant or old fashioned)
1/4 Cup flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 Cup Bisquick
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Egg
1/2 Cup milk
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. Salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 Cup rum OR 1-1/2 Tbsp. Rum Extract
PLUS enough water to make 1/2 Cup
Ice Cream for garnish, and whipped cream if you really wanna go to hell in a handbasket
Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MED HIGH
Cut bananas in half; place one half of one banana in mixing bowl and set aside. Cut remaining bananas in half again, then cut those pieces in half lengthwise, and set aside.
Mash the half-banana in the mixing bowl, and add the brown sugar, flour, oats, salt and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
There’s a lot of setting aside in this recipe…
In a separate bowl, mix Bisquick, oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Stir thoroughly to combine, and set aside. See? Told ya. Lot’s of setting aside.
In a small saucepan or sautee pan, mix brown sugar, corn starch and salt to combine. Add butter, and melt to bubbling over a medium flame. Add rum flavoring and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently. Once the mixture bubbles and thickens, add reserved banana slices. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes or until bananas are tender. Avoid stirring as much as possible so as not to fracture the bananas. They’re very fragile. They were just dumped and the guy who left them turned them to absolute mush. Don’t you help that state any.
Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Fold the brown sugar/banana/oat mixture into the main batter, stirring just enough to combine (we want more of a ribbon of the banana mixture, versus mixing it into the waffle mixture). Spoon it in batches onto the waffle iron, leaving plenty of room for spread.
Remove individual waffles or wedges to serving plates. Top with a scoop of ice cream (vanilla bean or dulce de leche being my favorites, though rum raisin here would not be ill advised); top each serving with a few of the sauteed bananas, and then spoon their syrup over the top.
Oh. Em Gee.
And no, I won’t be pat and say something about how your guests will go bananas for this. That would be so beneath me.
And you know, in matters of scathing wit, that I don’t monkey around.
