serves 4
My daughter, now a young adult, used to hide jars of Merenda, the Greek equivalent of the chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella, hoarding it for a rainy day. My son also grew up licking the last gooey bits of the chocolate-hazelnut cream from the spoon. It’s become part of Greek popular food culture, and I work it into a very American banana split, topped with a bit of ancient crunch in the form of pasteli, the sesame-honey confection that’s been around for millennia.
3 ounces (85 g) Greek pasteli (sesame-honey brittle) or other sesame or nut brittle
FOR THE SAUCE
½ cup (120 ml) Merenda, Nutella, or other chocolate-hazelnut spread
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
FOR THE BANANAS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 large, firm bananas, peel on, stem tips removed, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons brandy or orange liqueur
2 tablespoons honey, preferably Greek thyme or pine honey
Scant 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 scoops vanilla or chocolate ice cream, for serving
Place the pasteli on a sturdy work surface over a piece of parchment paper. Cover with another piece of parchment and, using a kitchen mallet, hammer until crumbled. Set aside. (You can crush the pasteli up to a week ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.)
Prepare the sauce: In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate-hazelnut spread over medium heat. Add the cream and almond extract and stir until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and keep warm in the double boiler.
Prepare the bananas: Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush the pan with the butter. Place the bananas cut-side down in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bananas are lined with grill marks.
In the meantime, whisk together the brandy, honey, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Turn the bananas over so that the flesh side is up, brush generously with the brandy mixture, cover the pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the bananas are cooked through. Remove carefully and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel the banana halves.
Place two grilled banana halves in each serving dish. Top with two scoops of ice cream, drizzle with the sauce, and garnish with the crushed pasteli. Serve immediately.