Caramelized banana split from Gordon Ramsay

Whether you’ll like Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food cookbook or not will depend upon how much of a foodie you are. There are a lot of recipes that call for unusual ingredients, and many are not particularly kid-friendly, but oh my! are they ever delicious

Here’s one that almost everyone will be able to agree on, compliments of ABC News:

Caramelized Banana Split

Serves 4

“Make sure you use a good-quality ice cream here. For extra child appeal, provide bowls with little extras, such as chocolate sprinkles and chocolate chips, so the kids can help themselves.”

4 ripe bananas
½ cup superfine sugar
2-3 scoops each of different ice creams (e.g. vanilla, chocolate, strawberry)
2/3 cup whipping cream, lightly whipped
shredded sweetened coconut, to sprinkle (optional)
4 candied (or pitted fresh) cherries

Chocolate Sauce:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 Tbsp. runny honey
1/3 cup whipping cream

Peel the bananas and cut in half lengthwise. Place cut side up on a sturdy baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with the sugar. If you have a cook’s blowtorch, wave it over the bananas until the sugar has caramelized. (Otherwise, preheat the broiler to its highest setting and flash the bananas under the broiler until golden brown and bubbling.) Let cool until the sugar has firmed up.

Make the chocolate sauce in the meantime. Put all the ingredients in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is smooth. Take the bowl off the pan and let cool.

Arrange two banana halves on clear serving dishes (ideally oval or oblong), with the caramelized sides facing outward. Place a scoop of each flavored ice cream between the banana halves. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, then spoon or pipe over the whipped cream. Sprinkle with the coconut if using and top each banana split with a cherry. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Gordon Ramsay; Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food: Key Porter Books, 2008.