Five decades may have gone by, but Nutella remains as sweet as ever. The beloved chocolate-hazelnut spread celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a nation-wide, 16-city food truck tour.
In light of the tour, turned to chefs across the nation, including ICE's own Director of Culinary Development, Chef James Briscione, to develop iconic Nutella desserts that celebrate the local culinary culture of each of the truck's 16 stops. James chose to reinterpret Bananas Foster, a classic New Orleans dessert invented in the 1950s. It's difficult to imagine caramelized bananas and rum leaving room for improvement, but a whipped Nutella cream transforms the dish into a celebration-worthy stunner.
Bananas Foster Tartlet with Nutella Cream
Yield: 4 servings
For the Frangipane:
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup finely ground hazelnuts or almonds
- 1 fl oz dark rum
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions:
- Combine the sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and rum; continue mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add the ground nuts and flour and fold together until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Excess frangipane may be stored refrigerated up to 2 weeks.
For the tartlets:
Ingredients:
- 4 (4-inch) rounds puff pastry
- 2 ripe bananas
- Granulated sugar, as needed
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup Nutella
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- Place the rounds of puff pastry on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the frangipane on the dough, leaving an approximately ¼ inch border. Bake the tart until the crust is risen around the frangipane and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan.
- Thinly slice the bananas and tile over the tarts. Spread a thin, even layer of sugar over the tart and brûlée with a torch.
- Pour the cream into a chilled bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Place the Nutella in a separate bowl. Whisk half of the whipped cream into the Nutella. Add the remaining cream and fold together until smooth and lightened.
- To serve, place the brûléed tart in the center of a plate and top with the Nutella cream.
