One of the world’s simplest and most delightful desserts, this simplified banana adaptation of the classic French upside-down tart makes use of store-bought puff pastry. serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream perfectly balances its sweetness.
What do I need?
- 1 roll of frozen butter puff pastry, defrosted (or thinly rolled homemade pastry)
- 6 large bananas
- 250 g caster sugar
- 60 mL water
- 80 mL dark rum
- 60 mL cream
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 6 scoops of vanilla ice cream
How do I make it?
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Butter a 26–28 cm frying pan. Cut the puff pastry to fit the top of the pan and set it aside. Peel the bananas and slice them in half.
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring it to a boil, without stirring, until the syrup turns into a dark caramel colour. Remove from the heat immediately and, very carefully, stir in the rum. Return to low heat and stir until smooth. Then, add the cream and bring it to a boil.
- Pour the caramel into the base of the pan. Arrange the banana halves in concentric circles, then top with the puff pastry circle. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg to egg-wash it, taking care not to let the egg run down the edges of the pastry. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
- To serve, remove the tart from the oven and, while still quite hot, invert the tart onto the centre of a serving plate. Top each serving with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream.