If you’ve ever been to a resort in the Caribbean, you’ve probably experienced the delicious awesomeness that is flambéed bananas. Halved bananas cooked in a buttery, sugary sauce with a generous splash of rum – it’s one of my favourite desserts ever. Sometimes called Bananas Foster, I was thinking about ways to present the same flavours in a new dish and realized that they would be fantastic in egg roll form. These sweet egg rolls are ridiculously delicious and surprisingly simple to prepare, yet they look so fancy on the plate that they’d be perfect for a special dinner for two. As you lick up the last of the sauce (off your plate or your partner … no judging here), you can both think about that romantic Caribbean holiday you can't afford this year thanks to the sorry state of the Canadian dollar. While the quantities below are enough for two servings, if your kids insist on crashing your ‘date night at home’ dinner, you can easily double or triple the recipe.
Ingredients
4 egg roll wrappers (available in the produce section of most grocery stores)
1 banana
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp hot water
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dark rum
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Peel the banana and slice lengthwise, then cut each half in half crosswise to make four pieces.
In a very small bowl, combine the cornstarch and hot water.
Lay out the egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface.
Place one piece of banana in the middle of each egg roll wrapper.
Fold the top and bottom points of the wrapper over the banana, then roll up one side, tucking the point under the banana.
With a fingertip, paint the remaining point of the egg roll wrapper with the cornstarch and water mixture, then roll it over the wrapped banana, pressing to seal. Try to tuck in all the edges so that the banana is completely encased in the wrapper. That way the juices that accumulate during baking will stay inside the egg roll.
At this point, the egg rolls can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 8 hours before baking.
To cook, place the rolls on a wire rack and place the wire rack on a foil-lined cookie sheet. The rack helps ensure even baking.
Brush all sides of each roll with the melted butter.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and crispy, turning once during baking.
While egg rolls bake, make sauce by melting butter over medium heat in a small, heavy-bottomed pan. Add brown sugar and stir constantly until the mixture is bubbling. Add the rum and let it bubble for 2 minutes to allow the alcohol to burn off, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice, stir, and reduce heat to low to keep warm.
Serve egg rolls with ice cream, lightly drizzled with sauce.
Makes 2 servings.
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