Cake and Eat It: Banana fritters with sesame caramel

Banana fritters with sesame caramel

5 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to cook
Serves 4
Cook's note: Suitable for vegetarians

150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
225ml sparkling water
4 bananas, peeled and sliced into 5–6 chunks each
Sunflower oil, for deep-fat frying
50g caster sugar
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, then whisk in the sparkling water to make a smooth batter. Stir in the bananas to completely coat them.

Pour enough sunflower oil into a medium-sized pan to half fill it and heat until a small chunk of bread dropped into it sizzles and begins to brown.

Carefully lower in 4-5 chunks of banana (don't crowd the pan) and deep-fry for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Lift out of the fat with a heatproof slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining bananas until they are all cooked. Keep warm in a low oven.

Place the caster sugar, sesame seeds and 50ml cold water in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and heat, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring the sugar, over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, swirling the pan frequently, or until the caramel is golden. Immediately remove from the heat.

Divide the banana fritters between 4 warm plates and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of the sesame caramel sauce.

Source:http://lifestyle.aol.co.uk/2012/01/20/banana-fritters/

Healthy Dessert to Get You Through Cold January Days

We're eating our way through January here at Maplewood Patch. That's why this day on Patch is devoted to food. But, never fear — we're doing it in a healthy, responsible, and, above all, tasty way!

Mary Alfieri works with a local dialysis clinic, Fresenius Medical Care, on Milburn Avenue in Maplewood. Alfieri has long been aware of the dangers involved in indulging in rich foods for those with chronic illnesses, so she reached out to Patch to share a dessert that is healthy and delicious for all.

"Our company, Fresenius Medical Care, and Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr., star of Food Network’s Big Daddy’s House, partnered to develop tasty, satisfying and new dialysis-friendly recipes. The Apple-Stuffed Cinnamon Bundles recipe [below] is something that patients and people entertaining family and friends with restricted diets can enjoy."

Apple-Stuffed Cinnamon Bundles

Ingredients

Apple Mixture

4 apples or 3-1/2 cups (of peeled medium diced Granny Smith, Washington Gala, and Honey Crisp apples mixed)

¼ cup light brown sugar*

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, firm

¼ cup melted unsalted butter (for buttering phyllo pastry sheets)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon corn starch

1 package (6 sheets) phyllo dough



Combine in a small bowl:

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Garnish:

Powdered Sugar

Fresh mint

Whipped cream or Low fat whipped topping

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Preparation:

Prepare apple mixture:

In large sauté pan on medium high heat, sauté apples in butter for 6-8 minutes. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. In a small cup, mix cornstarch and vanilla extract until dissolved, stir into apple mixture and cook for additional two minutes on medium high heat. Turn off heat and set aside.

Prepare phyllo dough bundles:

Lightly grease a large six muffin tin pan.
Starting with the first sheet of phyllo dough, brush each side with melted butter then dust with the powdered sugar and cinnamon mix. Continue until all 6 sheets have been buttered and dusted with sugar and cinnamon mix, stacking one sheet on top of the other as you go.
Cut each stack into 6 squares. Line the bottom and sides of each muffin cup using one stack of squares. Leave an over-hang.
Fill each phyllo lined muffin cup ½ - ¾ full with the apple mixture (this will depend on how big the apples are cut), making sure each phyllo lined muffin cup has equal amounts of apple mixture.
Fold excess phyllo dough over the apples in each muffin cup and pinch top closed to create the bundles.
Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Garnish with powdered sugar, whipped cream and sprig of fresh mint.

*1/4 cup Agave Nectar may be substituted as a sweetener for those with diabetes



Note: These are a few types of year round apples that are available are in most supermarkets and fruit stands across the country. Select one sour and two sweet apple varieties for your recipe:

Empire
Fuji
Golden Delicious
Red Delicious
Granny Smith

Nutrient Analysis:
Serves: 6
1 Serving: 1 bundle

Calories 249 calories Trans Fat 0 grams
Protein 2 grams Cholesterol 31 milligrams
Carbohydrate 29 grams Potassium 102 milligrams
Total Fat 14 grams Phosphorus 26 milligrams
Saturated Fat 9 grams Sodium 99 milligrams

Source:http://maplewood.patch.com/articles/healthy-dessert-to-get-you-through-cold-january-days