Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Brie and Brûlée Bananas Recipe




From Avery/Daryl: If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been sort of preoccupied with Brie lately. I posted a Brie winter salad on Mystery Lovers Kitchen in December. I posted a Brie asparagus quiche recipe in my latest newsletter.

This week, I’m offering an easy, simple dessert with Brie and bananas, a recipe I found on PhamFatale when I was searchign for somehting fun with Brie and fruit.  I tweaked it just a bit. This can be made gluten-free!!

Why Brie? Let’s not beat around the bush. I have a new book coming out in a few weeks, TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE, and I’m very excited. I love spending time with Charlotte and her family and friends. Why do I have the Shakespearean reference?

Murder, revenge, secrets. An open-air play, a wedding, and an estrangement ending in murder converge, forcing amateur sleuth Charlotte Bessette to ask the question: which suspect is deciding whether to kill or not to kill again?

istock photo
How Shakespearean can you get? And Grandmére is putting on Hamlet in the Village Green. An open-air play. Fun!

In February, I’ll be sharing recipes that I’ve included in the book—you all know that many of the MLK author’s culinary mysteries have recipes, right?

But for now, indulge me and let me share how fond I’ve become of Brie.

Brie and Brulee Bananas

Ingredients:

10 gingersnap cookies (may be gluten-free)
3-4 ripe bananas
3/4 cup granulated sugar, as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 ounces Brie cheese

Directions:

Remove the Brie cheese from the refrigerator thirty minutes before preparing these little gems, to bring the cheese to room temperature. Cut the cheese into ten pieces.

I found this Brie in a tube-shape. Very easy to cut.
Cinnamon sugar: In a pie plate, combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well.




Making bruleed bananas: Peel and slice the bananas. Cut them in rounds. Place the sliced bananas on the sugar mixture. Coat the bananas on both sides. Sprinkle with more sugar if necessary, then set the bananas on a metal tray...


...and caramelize with a culinary torch until the sugar melts and starts to bubble.
Found at Bed, Bath & Beyond


This will happen fast, so be careful. Caramelization occurs when the sugar changes color and a crust forms.



Assembly: Place the gingersnap cookies on a platter. Layer the cookie with one piece of bruleed banana. Add a piece of cheese and another banana.
Serve immediately.

Tip: If desired, a pinch of salt will bring out the flavor of the banana and enhance the sweetness.

Second tip: You could use another soft cheese, such as Camembert, and I bet it would taste good with ricotta, too (probably a lot messier).

Third tip: Here's my gluten-free gingersnap recipe if you don't want to buy a box of them. They're delish & easy. 

* * * * * * *


The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series: 
TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE
coming February 2013.

You can pre-order the book HERE. 

Click this link to watch the TRAILER

Click this link to read an EXCERPT.

Click this link to hear a PODCAST

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

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 so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

Also, you probably know by now about my alter ego,
DARYL WOOD GERBER...and her new series
A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series
debuts July 2013

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.
"She" doesn't say all the same things "Avery" does. Promise.

Say cheese!

***********







12 comments:

  1. Brie is one of my favorite cheeses! I've never seen it in a tube form!

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    Replies
    1. Kat, I hadn't seen it in tube form either and wondered if it might be too "processed." It tasted lovely at room temperature.

      Avery / Daryl

      Delete
  2. Sounds wonderful, but what if you don't have a culinary torch?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Booklady, I didn't either so I purchased one. I remember a couple of years ago getting a blow torch at a Home Depot for about $6 and using it in the same way. The suggestion was a tip from a restaurant chef I knew. It worked like a gem. Otherwise...hmm, not sure. I'm not that advanced. :) You could probably caramelize some sugar in a sauté pan on the stove. MLK'ers? Ideas here?

      Avery/Daryl

      Delete
    2. My suggestion would be to put it under a broiler for a few minutes (but do watch it carefully so it doesn't turn into charcoal on you). It won't be exactly the same as the torch but it should caramelize that sugar and work fairly well.

      Delete
  3. There is no such thing as too much Brie. And I'd love to see you attacking these with a mini blowtorch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sheila, I have to say using a blowtorch is fun and definitely gave me future writing ideas! LOL

      Avery / Daryl

      Delete
  4. Waving my hand: I'm also a Brie fan, and looking forward to reading more about Hamlet in Charlotte's hamlet: TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE. Just a few more weeks!

    ~ Cleo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clever, Cleo. Hamlet in the hamlet. Love it. (May I borrow?) Can't wait for this release. Hope people will get the pun. Feeling angst-y right about now.

      Avery / Daryl

      Delete
  5. OMG, it's yours! (It's really from your description and clever title, anyway.) The play Hamlet is one of my faves, and I'm looking forward to reading how you had fun with it in TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE. Can't wait!

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  6. What a wonderful concoction. Sounds absolutely delicious. I never would have considered this combination. Someone was very clever!

    ~ Krista

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love this! And want one of those blowtorches too so I can make them. Also can't wait for the new twist on the old tale (with cheese and recipes). Sounds like great fun.


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