This dessert came to me while watching Professional Masterchef. None of the candidates this year used combinations as simple as banana, caramel and pecan nuts of course, and there was not enough time for them to whizz up a puff pastry, but somehow their creativity and passion inspired me. It is very simple to make and you really need to give this a go to impress your friends. It is great as a dessert, or for tea, and can be enjoyed all year long as long as you can find ripe bananas!
Ingredients:
- 1 puff pastry, pre-rolled
- 6 big ripe bananas, cut in small slices
- 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
- pecan nuts (or any other nuts) and granulated sugar
Preheat the oven at 180C. Unroll the cold puff pastry and pierce with a fork all over. Place the banana slices all over the tart and sprinkle with the muscovado sugar. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the puff pastry is cooked and the banana smell is all around the kitchen!
Meanwhile make the salted caramel sauce. I used here half of Jamie Oliver’s recipe.
- 40ml water
- 125g golden caster sugar
- 60ml double (heavy) cream mixed with a few drops of vanilla extract
- 12g unsalted butter
- Pinch good-quality sea salt
- Splash of rum
Heat up a deep bottom frying pan, when hot, add the water and the sugar. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and let it bubble until the mixture becomes golden. Then take the pan off the heat and add the double cream, mixing constantly, then the butter. When the sauce is smooth and shiny, add a splash of rum, mix well and transfer to a bowl to cool down.
The cherry on the cake in this recipe, or the nut on the tart, is the crunchy pecan nut brittle on top of the smooth banana and the silky caramel. Simply follow my nougatine recipe and add the nuts in the caramel. Transfer to a heat proof surface and let it harden. Smash it all in a pestle and mortar to create small crunchy bits and store in an air tight container.
When the tart is cooked, drizzle some caramel sauce and sprinkle with pecan brittle. Serve with extra caramel sauce and pecan brittle on the side for those feeling naughty like our Aunty Laura.
Noémie's kitchen 