Satisfied Cravings: Bananas Foster

Cravings are a constant challenge when you have dietary restrictions. You know that saying, "You always want what you can't have"? What I usually want is dessert and for the first time, the dessert I craved was something that I've never actually ordered, made, or even have a special memory of. I just knew that I had to have it.

 

If you've read my blog for awhile, you know that I love puff pastry. While I was looking for new recipes on puffpastry.com, I ran across a recipe for bananas foster. Bananas Foster is bananas covered in buttery-cinnamon-rum-caramelly (yes, not a word but it should be) goodness. Traditionally bananas foster goes over vanilla ice cream and although ice cream sounds delicious during these recent hot summer days in San Diego, sugar-free ice cream is one of those few items that I don't think has been mastered just yet. I crave bananas a lot but like a lot of fruit, I have to limit my intake because of the natural sugars and in the case of bananas, the starch.  I looked over the recipe and decided to make a few adjustments to the ingredients and the portion size to see if I could make it a little more friendly.

 

 

Bananas Foster with Puff Pastry

heavily adapted from puffpastry.com

 

1 package of mini puff pastry shells

egg wash - beat 1 egg, 2 tablespoons water

3 ripe, but firm, bananas

1/2 cup sugar substitute*

2 tablespoons light maple syrup

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt

 

 

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place pastry shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the egg wash onto the puff pastry shells. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut bananas into rounds.

In a skillet, combine the sugar, syrup, butter, lemon juice, rum, and cinnamon over medium heat. Stir until the sauce thickens. Add the bananas and coat until caramelized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the centers of the puff pastry shells. Spoon in the Greek yogurt and add the banana mixture to the top. Add another layer of yogurt to top if you would like.

 

Sueshine Note

*The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar. Instead, I used C&H Light which is a combination of real sugar and stevia and the 2 tablespoons of light maple syrup. This sugar substitute does not measure equal to real sugar (1/2 cup = 1/4 cup) so make sure you adjust to whatever substitute you are using.

*Worried about the alcohol? It burns off but if you are worried about the sugars in the rum, you can use imitation rum extract.

 

I decided to go with the smaller puff pastry shells because it lends itself to a smaller portion. I believe one of these is the perfect size dessert for after dinner and there is a little less guilt involved. Did I mention how easy this recipe was too? You can whip this up in a matter of 15 minutes and even less time if you are just making the bananas foster portion. I actually had some extra bananas so I might save it for that sugar free ice cream that needs improvement.

 

 

 

I forgot to show what the puff pastry shell looks like when it's baked as well as the hollowed section filled with yogurt but I just got too excited to pour on the bananas and sauce! Do I have you craving bananas foster now? :)

 

 

 

Please note as with all my attempts in making a recipe more friendly, I'm not an expert. Please make sure you take into account your personal diet. Only you can make the right decisions.

 

Banana Crruuuunch!

Flash back to early last week....(my mom's house)

Me: How would I make turon diabetic friendly?

Mom: You can't.

Me: Even if I use Splenda brown sugar? Do you think it would crystallize like regular brown sugar?

Mom: I don't know. Even if you did use Splenda, the rest of it is all carbs.

Me: Hmph!

Flash forward to Sunday...

Way to burst my bubble mom! If you haven't noticed, I haven't actually made anything for the last few blogs. It's been way too hot in east San Diego for the past month and my poor little window AC unit cannot beat my hot oven while I'm baking. I've been wracking my brain on what I could make that wouldn't make my tiny kitchen feel like the surface of the sun. Easiest solution: don't bake. I know my blog is mainly about baking but it's also about sharing my favorite sweet items. My obsessive nature has been nagging at me because I've been wanting to make my FAVORITE Filipino dessert for over a month and share it with all of you but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to make it diabetic friendly. So I asked my mom. Who needs a cookbook or the Internet when you have a Filipino mom with a degree in nutrition to bounce ideas off of? Unfortunately, my mom's response wasn't what I wanted to hear. So on top of my obsessive nature, my stubborn self went ahead and made the dessert. My favorite Filipino dessert is turon.

So what is turon? I tried to describe it to my co-workers and the best thing I could come up with is that it's like a dessert lumpia (or eggroll). On Saturday, I went to the Asian market which always brings up tons of memories. I remember always going with my Lola (grandmother) and my mom as a kid to buy fresh fish and even better, to get my cool snacks like Pokey and lychee jelly that a lot of my classmates in grade school were curious about. These days, I still go to the market with my mom to go eat Filipino food or just to entertain my husband who always goes in search for blue crabs escaping from their box. 

What you'll need at the Asian market.... 

Saba Bananas They have the starchiness of a plantain but the sweetness of a regular banana and they can hold up to cooking. The carb in the banana is what makes it not so diabetic friendly but we can discuss that later.

Eggroll wrappers Found in the frozen food aisle, my mom recommends going with the round ones.

Langka or jackfruit (optional) I ended up not getting this because it usually comes in a can or jar of simple syrup. If you aren't sugar challenged, go ahead and get this for an added texture.

At the regular market...

About 1/2 cup brown sugar (Splenda brand if you would like)

1 egg, beaten with a 1/2 tsp of water

cooking oil (enough to cover the turon)

Cooking directions...
Slice the bananas lengthwise then in half.
Roll the banana slices in brown sugar until coated.
Place the banana slices close to the edge of the eggroll wrapper. Begin to roll the banana in the wrapper towards the center. Fold in the sides then continue rolling until about 1/2 inch to the edge. Dab some of the egg wash on the edge of the wrapper then seal the eggroll.
Heat cooking oil. Carefully drop the turon into hot oil and cook until golden brown. Some of the brown sugar will come out of the roll and will crystallize on the outside as it cools.

End result...

A small package of crunchy, sweet goodness! Now don't get too excited and take a bite of this right out of the pan...it will be hot. Cool the turon on a wire rack or in a bowl with the the turon in a vertical position so it drains. Unless you want to eat paper towel, DO NOT put it on paper towel. If you do, its guaranteed to stick. Another reason to wait? When the sugar begins to cool, the sugar will harden and create another crunch on top of the crispy eggroll wrapper. For obvious reason, this is not diabetic friendly. I'm simply sharing a dessert that I love. IF YOU ARE DIABETIC AND CHOOSE TO EAT/MAKE THIS, please be mindful of your individual recommended diet by your doctor. On a side note, I saw an endocrinologist this last week and my diabetes is finally under control! I still won't indulge in a ton of turon but I think one will be okay ;)