Banana Splits
“This is a childhood treat Mum would make for us, and I’m a fan of the retroness of it, so I’m on a mission to bring it back. The recipe is just how she made it, but I’ve added the pecan praline. You might have some praline left over, which you can store in an airtight container for up to a week (if it doesn’t get scoffed before then). If you didn’t already know, I’m a generous server, so I serve this with three scoops of ice cream per dish”. - Andy Hearnden
SERVES 4
4 firm, ripe bananas
vanilla ice cream, to serve
maraschino (cocktail) cherries, to serve
Pecan praline
200g caster sugar
200g pecans
50g unsalted butter, chopped
Chocolate Sauce
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp thickened or whipping cream (35% fat)
Whipped vanilla cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200ml chilled thickened or whipping cream (you want something with 35% fat content)
1 tbsp icing sugar
Let’s get cracking with the praline. To start, line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-based saucepan, shaking the pan so the sugar forms an even layer. Place the pan over medium heat and cook the sugar until it boils and turns a dark, amber colour. Be careful not to stir the melting sugar at all – only mix it by swirling the pot or it may crystallise (not what you want). Add the pecans, swirl the pan to coat them, then add the butter. Swirl again until the butter has completely incorporated into the caramel. Pour the praline mixture onto the lined tray carefully – it’ll be hot like lava. Let the praline cool completely, then give it a bash with the end of a rolling pin to break it into small pieces.
For the chocolate sauce, bring a medium-sized saucepan half-filled with water to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a bowl large enough to fit snugly over the simmering water, making sure the water isn’t touching the base of the bowl. Stand over the water until the chocolate has melted, then remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Keep warm.
For the whipped vanilla cream, combine the vanilla bean paste, cream and icing sugar in a bowl, then whisk until smooth and thick. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
To assemble the banana splits, cut each banana in half lengthways and place 2 halves each in the bottom of 4 long serving dishes. Add 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream to each, pipe over the whipped vanilla cream and garnish with the praline. Drizzle over the warm chocolate sauce (or grab yourself another piping bag if you want things a bit more schmick), decorate with cherries, then serve.
Recipes extracted from Andy Cooks, Oriana Press, 2023. Photography Mark Roper RRP $60AUD.
