Sundae afternoon

two hours to prepare.... so it says... ay.

Emeril's Blazing Banana Split Sundae

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 servings


Vegetable oil, for frying
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (10-inch round) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup dark rum
2 large bananas, halved crosswise
1/2 pint vanilla ice cream
1/2 pint chocolate ice cream
1/2 pint strawberry ice cream
Chocolate-Banana Sauce, recipe follows
Pineapple Rum Sauce, recipe follows
Sweetened whipped cream, for serving
1/2 cup crushed roasted peanuts, for serving


Pour vegetable oil in a large skillet or pan with deep sides to a depth of 1-inch. (The pan should be large enough to accommodate a 10-inch round tortilla). Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Fry the tortillas, 1 at a time in the oil until soft, about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Quickly remove the tortilla from the oil, sprinkle both sides evenly with the cinnamon-sugar, and place over an inverted bowl. Carefully press the tortilla down around the bowl to form a bowl shape. Allow tortilla to cool completely before removing the inverted bowl. Repeat with remaining tortilla.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and strawberries and cook until sugar is melted and the mixture is bubbly and slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the rum. Return the pan to the heat and ignite. Cook until the flames die out, about 10 to 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To assemble: Slice the banana halves in half lengthwise and arrange 4 slices in each tortilla bowl. Place 2 scoops (1/4-cup each) of each flavor ice cream in each bowl. Drizzle Chocolate-Banana Sauce, Pineapple Rum Sauce, and Strawberry Sauce over the ice cream. Top with sweetened whipped cream and crushed peanuts. Serve immediately.

Chocolate-Banana Sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon banana liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the cream to a bare simmer over low heat. Place the chocolate pieces in a medium bowl. Remove the cream from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let mixture stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until the chocolate is melted. Add the vanilla extract and banana liqueur and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Pineapple Rum Sauce:
3 cups fresh pineapple chunks (1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons light rum

Combine pineapple, sugar, water and zest in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until pineapple is tender and the liquid is slightly thickened, about 30 to 35 minutes. Stir in the rum, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and using an immersion blender or food processor puree the pineapple mixture. Allow sauce to chill completely.

Yield: about 2 cups