Here is a dessert that is a true winner if you want to take the time to bring it all together. It really doesn't take as long as the recipe ingredients look, but of course that is coming from someone who thinks everything doesn't take that long. The flavors are straight forward with banana, nutella, and caramel. All of these flavors go together so harmoniously without having to go above and beyond. The presentation looks amazing but that is deception using bomb molds. In short the recipe consists nothing more than a hazelnut banana "bread" (cake), banana cinnamon ice cream, banana and nutella mousse and caramel sauce. The end result is fantastic and I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Banana and Hazenut bomb with banana cinnamon ice cream
Banana mousse
9 frozen bananas thawed and drained completely of water
8oz mascarpone
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
12g gelatin
3 tbsp water
Banana ice cream
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup cream
1 tbsp Mexican vanilla extract
4 ripe frozen banana
1 tsp cinnamon
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
Hazelnut banana bread
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil and 1 tsp of vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
7 thawed bananas and 1/3 cup of banana water
1 cup chopped hazelnut
Nutella filling
1/2 cup Nutella
4 oz cream cheese room temperature
1/4 cup of ground hazelnut
1 tbsp of frangelico
Caramel sauce
4 oz butter
8oz brown sugar
4oz of xo patron café
6 oz of cream
2 ripe bananas
sugar to (brûlée)
1/4 cup of roasted hazelnuts cut in half and 1/4 ground
For the Banana ice cream go here
For the nutella filling,
Mix all the ingredients well in a mixing bowl until you have one homogenous mix and then fill a 15 cavity half sphere mold (here). Freeze until completely solid.
For the banana mousse,
Take ripened bananas and puree until smooth with mascarpone cheese with a hand emersion blender. In a small separate bowl add gelatin and 3 tbsp of water to bloom. Meanwhile in a stand mixer add heavy cream. Using the whisk start to whip the heavy cream. When the cream starts to thicken add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until stiff peaks. Place the whipped cream in a bowl and place in the refrigerator. Clean your mixing bowl out and place your egg whites inside ; make a quick meringue by mixing the egg whites on high with the whisk attachment and when the whites start to foam, slowly add 1/2 cup of sugar and whip until you have stiff peaks. Melt the gelatin over the double boiler and then pour into the banana mixture and mix well. Working quickly now fold in your egg whites in the banana mixture then fold in your whipped cream. You want to incorporate the whipped cream well, but you don't want to over work it. Then take 2 6 cavity bomb molds that are 3 oz each (here) and fill almost to the top. Once you have all 12 filled, take your frozen nutella half sphere mold out the freeze and place one half sphere in the center of each of the 12 banana mousse. Take an offset spatula and smooth out the top, you might need to add a touch more mousse to completely cover the sphere in the middle. Once completely smooth place in the freezer overnight to completely set up.
For the banana hazelnut cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, vanilla, eggs, banana water, bananas . Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Pour on to a half sheet pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Take our and let it cool completely. Once completely cooled you can refrigerate if desired and take a cookie cutter that is the same size as your bomb molds. Cut out 12 cakes for your 12 bombs and set aside.
For the Caramel,
Simply place brown sugar and butter in a small pot and turn on medium heat. Cook until sugar and butter are melted. Then add the patron and flambé. Let all the alcohol cook off and then add the cream. Whisk until all is combined, cook for 1-3 minutes until you have the desired thickness and turn off the heat. Set aside until ready to plate.
To finish,
Place a round cake of the hazelnut down on the plate. Take a bomb out of the freezer and un-mold, place on top of the cake. Take ripe bananas and slice on a sheet tray. Then sprinkle liberally with sugar on the tops of the bananas. With a torch, caramelize the sugar on top of the bananas. Add some ground hazelnuts next to the bomb and add a scoop of banana ice cream on top. Then spoon some of the caramel on top and around the bomb. Add the hazelnuts on top and around the bomb. Finish with the caramelized bananas around serve and enjoy!
NOTE: To make things a little easier and to not have the mousse so frozen, you can un-mold the bomb and place on top of the hazelnut cake and place that in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the dessert. It will help serve everyone faster and it will help with the center not being completely frozen in the middle. I hope you enjoy it!
