makes four servings
For the bananas foster:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon brandy
3 bananas, sliced in half widthwise, then lengthwise (so you'll end up with 12 slices)
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
8 ounces neufchâtel (or cream) cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over low heat. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add in the brandy and bring to a simmer. Add the sliced bananas, and cook for about one minute per side, spooning the sauce over the bananas as they cook. Remove the bananas from the skillet and place them in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add the rum to the skillet. If the sauce is hot enough, it will start to flame. If not, use a long lighter to ignite the flame (be careful!). Continue cooking the sauce until the flame dies out, about 2-3 minutes. The sauce should have a syrupy consistency; if it is too thin, continue cooking for a few minutes longer.
3. Stir in the orange zest, and then carefully pour the sauce over the bananas. [It's totally cool if you want to stop at this point and just serve the bananas foster over vanilla ice cream. I may or may not have bogarted a couple bananas to give it a taste -- long story short, it was delish.]
4. Use a fork to mash the bananas into the sauce. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.
5. Add the neufchâtel (or cream) cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and beat to combine. Next, add in the cooled banana mixture and beat until the mixture is smooth.
For the cheesecakes:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 2 full cracker sheets)
1 ripe banana, sliced thinly
bananas foster cheesecake filling [see above]
whipped cream for serving
graham cracker crumbs for topping
1. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs.
2. Spoon and press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of four containers (I used small jam jars; you could use short glasses, ramekins, or other container of your choice).
3. Next, add a layer of sliced bananas (about 3-4 slices in a circle) to each jar.
4. Carefully spoon the cheesecake filling evenly into each of the containers.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours to let the cheesecakes set.
6. When ready to serve, top each cheesecake with whipped cream, graham cracker crumbs, and a banana slice.