Monday, September 17, 2012

Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake Recipe

 

My husband LOVES banana's foster and I love to bake, so when my Mother-in-Law came across this recipe in Southern Living Magazine, she tore it out for me.  It was great timing because we were heading to Supper Club the following week and it was my responsibility to bring the dessert.  I have spoke about supper club before here and here, but since the move back to Florida from Mississippi, we have had to establish a new group for our dinner club.  We had our first dinner together in the month of September and it was a huge success.  I am looking forward to more dinners in the upcoming Holiday months.  So, for my dessert, I whipped us this delicious bananas foster upside down cake.  It's always nerve-racking to cook something for the first time for an event with other people eating your food, but I lucked out with this one.  It was a huge hit.  We served it hot with vanilla ice cream on the side.

 

Bananas foster upside down cake l

 

Recipe from Southern Living Magazine 

Ingredients


  • 1/2 cup
     chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened and divided
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rum
  • ripe bananas
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose baking mix (Note: this is not regular flour.  Look for Bisquick pancake and baking mix)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring once.
  2. 2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches high) over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and rum.
  3. 3. Cut bananas diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle pecans over bananas.
  4. 4. Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add milk and next 2 ingredients; beat just until blended. Beat in baking mix and cinnamon until blended. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.) Pour batter over mixture in skillet. Place skillet on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan.
  5. 5. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in skillet over cake.

Bananasfoster

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Wedding Weekend | Rehearsal Dinner | Arnaud's Restaurant

 

 

We had our Rehearsal Dinner at Arnaud's in the French Quarter of New Orleans.   The menu gave everyone a taste of what great New Orleans food is all about.  The night was filled with incredible food, strong cocktails, good laughs, tear-jerker speeches, beautiful flowers and amazing friends and family.  Oh,  and also a really good surprise.  We had the perfect evening.

 

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 The Arnaud's Ballroom008

Great Friends 

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My Handsome Hubby who had me crying within the first hour of dinner with a very heartfelt speech 

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The Speech 

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 and lets raise our glasses for a toast

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My dear friend Tiffany who was also my excellent photographer for the night! IMG 1681

The gorgeous flowers and centerpieces done by my incredibly talented friend, Hayden at Geraldine's

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And I'm a bit teary eyed with my high school girls plus Tiffany 

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My brothers and my sister and law and soon to be other sister in law!!!  

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And here comes the surprise… the band busts through the doors and we have a surprise 2nd line, a New Orleans tradition, that we take from the restaurant back to the Ritz Carlton hotel

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A few people hopped in the rickshaws! 

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The 2nd Line

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Heading down Canal St with a light rain

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It was such a fun surprise.  We had a blast walking through the streets of the French Quarter and caught a little rain at the end which made it feel so surreal.  We met up with other friends and family at the Davenport Lounge in the Ritz Carlton for an after dinner drink and then called it a night to make sure we got our beauty sleep.