Honey-Caramelized Bananas & Oranges -Nhb

This broiled fruit dessert takes about 5 minutes of hands-on time and delivers something that looks and tastes like you tried much harder. Bananas and sliced oranges get drizzled with honey and scattered with chopped walnuts, then broil until the honey caramelizes and the fruit edges turn golden.

The broiler’s high heat does something special to the honey. It bubbles and darkens into a sticky, almost toffee-like glaze that coats the warm fruit. The walnuts toast in that same heat, turning fragrant and crunchy in the time it takes the bananas to soften.

For a dramatic finish, pour brandy over the hot fruit and flame it tableside. The alcohol burns off in seconds, leaving behind a warm, boozy perfume and a blue-flame show that makes this feel like a restaurant dessert.

Kitchen Tips

• Use ripe but firm bananas. Overripe bananas turn to mush under the broiler. You want them soft but still holding their shape.
• Watch the broiler closely. Five minutes is a guideline, but broilers vary. The honey can go from caramelized to burnt in under a minute.
• If flambeing, warm the brandy slightly before pouring it over the fruit. Warm brandy ignites more easily and burns more evenly.
• Use a flameproof dish that can go under the broiler. Glass, ceramic, or cast iron all work.

Variations

• Rum flambe: Use dark rum instead of brandy for a Caribbean spin with deeper caramel notes.
• Coconut: Sprinkle shredded coconut over the fruit before broiling for a tropical, toasted finish.
• Ice cream pairing: Serve the hot caramelized fruit over vanilla ice cream for a bananas Foster-style sundae.