Recipe: Teeny-Weeny Bikini Banana Splits (using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop and a butane torch)

TEENY-WEENY BIKINI BANANA SPLITS

"For this recipe, you will need a 1-ounce ice cream scoop and a butane torch, both of which are available at well-stocked kitchenware stores. You need the scoop to make mini balls of ice cream for the banana split, and the torch is for making a hard candy shell around the bananas."

FOR THE PINEAPPLE SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
FOR THE STRAWBERRY SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE:*
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
Tiny pinch salt
2 tablespoons rum (optional)
FOR THE BANANAS:
3 regular bananas or 6 small red bananas
3/4 cup sugar
TO SERVE:
1 quart vanilla ice cream, or your favorite flavor**
Whipped cream
Candied pecans or toasted flaked coconut
Fresh Bing cherries or dried sweet cherries

TO MAKE THE PINEAPPLE SAUCE:
Combine pineapple, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the lemon juice in a food processor and process to a rough puree. Taste, and add more sugar if needed.

For a more rustic sauce, simply chop the pineapple by hand to the desired consistency, then combine it with the sugar and lemon juice.

TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY SAUCE:
Prepare it in the same manner as above.

Reserve both sauces until needed.

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE:
Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a large stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until a rich caramel color develops. Do not stir as it cooks, but swirl the pan as the edges brown to achieve an even color. Remove from the heat immediately. Wrap your hand in an oven mitt or a towel (there will be lots of steam) and whisk in the butter, vanilla and cream. Add the salt and rum, if desired, and stir. Set this aside.

TO PREPARE THE BANANAS:
Peel and cut the bananas in half crosswise, then split them in half lengthwise. (Small red bananas just need to be split in half lengthwise.)

If you are going to caramelize the bananas, arrange them cut side up on a pizza tray. Sprinkle an even layer of sugar over the flat cut surfaces of the bananas and caramelize the sugar with a butane torch until it is golden brown and melted.*** Set aside to cool.

While the bananas are cooling, get the sauces lined up and set up your dishes with 3 small scoops of ice cream in each. Reheat caramel sauce.

TO SERVE:
Carefully arrange two slices of banana alongside the scoops of ice cream; top with spoonfuls of caramel, pineapple and strawberry sauces. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream, a sprinkling of nuts or coconut, and a cherry on top.

*The caramel sauce should be served warm. It can be made ahead and reheated just before you need it.

**Vanilla ice cream is called for here, but a really rich, homemade chocolate ice cream would be spectacular, too. If you want to get crazy, go for three different flavors.

***One of the tricks to a nice, hard sugar shell is to start with an even layer of sugar. I find shaking the sugar from a salt shaker to be extremely helpful in this task. Also, be sure to leave enough time between the caramelizing and the serving because the sugar needs to cool completely in order to develop that nice crispness. (You can skip the sugaring-the-bananas step if you really don't want to deal with a butane torch, but the dish won't have quite the same effect.)

Servings: 6
Adapted from source: Big Small Plates by Cindy Pawlcyn