Gadling

Most Daily Pampering is luxury in the form of money, but today’s Daily Pampering is luxury in the form of gluttony. The lesson here: You don’t need to spend a lot to pamper yourself. With Thanksgiving only a day away, we thought today’s pampering should be all about the food.

Welcome to Brennan’s Restaurant, one of New Orleans’ oldest restaurant and the creator of the famous flaming dessert, Bananas Foster. We stopped by Brennan’s for brunch during a recent trip to New Orleans and indulged in the creole and Cajun creations of the kitchen, but it was the Bananas Foster that put us over the edge. For less than you’d spend on a couple Pimm’s Cups at the bar down the street, you can treat yourself to this ultimate luxury dessert.

In 1951, Brennan’s Chef Paul created Bananas Foster. The scrumptious dessert was named for Richard Foster, who served with founder Owen Brennan on the New Orleans Crime Commission. Richard Foster was a frequent customer of Brennan’s and thus, Bananas Foster was born.

Need a little pampering around your dinner table this Thanksgiving? Here is the actual Bananas Foster recipe from the original source and creator of this dessert: Brennan’s Restaurant.

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup banana liqueur
• 4 bananas, cut in half
• lengthwise, then halved
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.