FRIED BANANAS WITH CINNAMON WHISKEY CREAM CHEESE DIP

Fried Bananas With Cinnamon Whiskey Cream Cheese Dip

INGREDIENTS:

For the fried bananas:

3 large ripe bananas

1/2 cup rice flour

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cold club soda

large bowl of ice to keep batter cold

vegetable oil for deep frying

For the cream cheese dip:

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 tbsp. cinnamon whiskey (I use Fireball)

1/16 scant tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat a 9-inch frying pan with 1-inch of oil to 350 degrees F.

Peel and slice bananas at a 45 degree angle to create oblong slices that are about 1/4-inch thick. Set aside.

Combine rice flour, sugar, cinnamon, and club soda in wide bowl. Use a fork to gently blend until just combined. The batter should be able to run through the tines of a fork but thick enough to lightly coat a slice of banana (see Images A and B). If batter is too thin, add small amount of flour, if too thick, add a tiny splash of club soda. Place the bowl of batter over a larger bowl filled with ice to keep batter cold while working.

Rice flour batter running through tines of a fork.

Image A

Rice flour batter running through tines of a fork.

Image B

Place 6 to 7 banana slices into the batter. Coat banana with batter. Use a fork to lift slices. Gently drop each slice, one at a time, into oil. Fry until the batter is lightly golden, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning slices over halfway through. Adjust heat setting as necessary if banana cooks too quickly or too slowly.

Transfer cooked slices onto a paper towel lined platter. Continue coating and frying the remaining bananas. Assemble the dip while banana slices cool slightly.

To make the dip, combine cream cheese, whiskey, cinnamon, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Mix until creamy smooth.

Immediately serve fried bananas with dip. Makes about 30 pieces.

Recipe Notes:

  1. The carbonation in the club soda contributes to a light batter. If substituting water for club soda, add 3/4 teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt to 1/2 cup of rice flour.

  2. The batter should be loose enough to flow through the tines of a fork but thick enough to coat the bananas. If it thickens while you work, add a little splash of club soda to thin out.

  3. Use ripe bananas. Underripe ones will not fry up as sweet. If using underripe bananas increase sugar to 2 teaspoons.

  4. Use ice cold water in the batter. It also contributes to a crispy coating. Keep the batter bowl over ice while working to maintain temperature.

  5. Maintaining a constant oil temperature also helps produce a crispy coating. Do not overcrowd frying pan with bananas. Adjust heat setting if needed to maintain a constant temperature.

  6. Although whiskey is classified as gluten free, omit if you have severe gluten sensitivity. Substitute with milk.

www.ingoodflavor.com