Bananas Foster

2 T butter, unsalted
1/4 C dark brown sugar
zest of one lemon (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
2 T dark rum (optional)
1 banana, sliced thickly 
1 C heavy cream, whipped with 1 tsp vanilla

Gently heat the butter, brown sugar and rum in a large frying pan. 
Cook the mixture over a medium high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. 
Lower the heat and add the banana slices. Cook for about a minute or two, ladling the sugar and butter mixture over the bananas. Gently toss the bananas and continue cooking for another minute, taking care to not overcook them. 
Serving suggestions:
1. Divide over two slices French toast and serve with a generous dollop of whipped cream. 
2. Divide over two bowls of vanilla ice-cream. 

Easy Peasy Rice Pudding

1 1/2 C cooked rice
1 1/2 C milk (or a little more if necessary)
1/3 C light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 C raisins
4 Tsp rum
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Put the raisins in a dish and add the rum and microwave for about 30 seconds. Set aside for five minutes to allow the raisins to absorb the rum, then drain before using.
Cook the rice, milk, sugar and salt over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy. Drizzle in the beaten eggs slowly to prevent them from cooking too quickly. Then add the drained raisins and vanilla, and cook for a few more minutes. If the pudding is a little too dry at this point add a little more milk as necessary.
Serve warm with a little sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. This pudding is especially tasty served with some vanilla ice-cream!

Macaroons

• This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's recipe. I much prefer using organic unsweetened coconut for my macaroons. They seem to have twice the flavor and of course no added sugar. Definitely a little taste of heaven!
• 4 cups unsweetened flaked coconut (I buy in bulk)
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large egg whites (at room temperature)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
• Mix the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whisk the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until you have fluffy, medium-high peaks, then carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
• Using a small ice-cream scoop measure out balls of the coconut mixture onto cookie sheets lined with silicone baking mats. I think these macaroons were a bit too big, so next time I'm going to make them a little smaller, so that they're about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. 
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and allow to cool.
• These macaroons are wonderfully light, moist and fully loaded with coconut. I might make another batch this week and try dipping them in dark chocolate. I'll keep you posted!
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