Bananas , Sesame Crunch , Ice Cream , Chocolate Sauce
Best for: A playful, individually served New Year’s Eve dessert.
Warm grilled bananas and cold vanilla ice cream make a friendly finish to a festive evening. A little sesame crunch adds texture, and small cups keep the portions comfortable after a table full of party food.
Grill: Direct medium heat at 350–375°F. Equipment: Grill, small heavy saucepan, silicone baking mat on a tray, spatula, 8 heat-safe dessert cups.
Ingredients
15–20 Minutes Crunch cool: 55–60 minutes. Total: 55–60 Minutes.
Sesame crunch
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon fine table salt
Sundaes
- 4 firm-ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
- 1/4 cup prepared chocolate sauce, made without alcohol
Directions
Put the silicone mat on a heatproof tray. Combine sugar and water in the saucepan and heat on the stovetop until dissolved, then boil without stirring for about 5–8 minutes until light amber, watching closely.
Remove from heat and carefully stir in sesame seeds and salt. Immediately spread thinly on the mat with a heatproof spatula; do not touch the hot sugar. Cool 20 minutes until hard, then break into small bite-size pieces.
Preheat the grill to 350–375°F. Peel bananas and halve lengthwise, keeping pieces intact; combine melted butter and cinnamon and brush over the cut surfaces.
Grill bananas cut-side down for 2–3 minutes until marked and releasing from the grate. Turn carefully and cook 1–2 minutes more, removing before they become too soft to lift.
Cut each banana half into several pieces and divide among eight heat-safe dessert cups. Add one small scoop of ice cream to each, using the full pint across the cups.
Drizzle each sundae with about 1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate sauce and add sesame crunch. Serve immediately; keep extra ice cream frozen and spare crunch dry in an airtight container.
Grilling tip: Firm-ripe bananas with mostly yellow skins hold their shape better than very soft, heavily spotted fruit.
Shared safety notes: Whole cuts of beef, pork, and lamb cook to 145°F with at least a 3-minute rest. Ground pork and other ground red meats cook to 160°F; poultry to 165°F. Cook seafood thoroughly, using the specified temperature and opaque-flesh cues. Keep hot party food at 140°F or above and cold food at 40°F or below. Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F; use cooked leftovers within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F.
