grilled bananas foster sundaes

Football and I don't really have the best of relationships. 

People never believe me when I tell them that I was quite the sporty child growing up. For years, I bounced back and forth between different sports — I played basketball throughout my childhood, embarrassed my entire family by routinely missing the tee-ball in front of me, and was even on the soccer team until I started high school. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't the best in any of these. (Really though, are you surprised? I was definitely definitely more of the theatre and dance and baking cookies in the kitchen for the team sorta boy. 💃) But football? That was of the bleakest moments in my timeline. 

After my failed attempt at fourth grade flag football, I decided I'd had enough. I mean, seriously, I didn't even know what a down was. Actually, I still don't. Today, I usually just spend football season listening to my dad scream at the television and act like I know what's going on when all I can see is a bunch of little men zigzagging their way across a field of fake grass. 

Fourth grade drama and total stupidity aside, I love football season for the weekly parties we throw at my house. Each week, my mom and I light up the grill, preheat the oven and create a full spread inspired by the local cuisine of whichever team we're playing against. Unsurprisingly, I'm always in charge of the dessert. Though fan rivalry is the name of the game during football season, food is what brings fans together. 

All month long, bloggers are teaming up with Kingsford Charcoal to bring you the biggest virtual football party ever. True to form, I've nominated myself for the coveted dessert duty. Since I'm from New Orleans, I'm repping the Saints in true black and gold fashion with these grilled bananas fosters sundaes. Honey glazed bananas, topped with creole cream cheese ice cream, bourbon whipped cream, bananas foster sauce, pecans and even edible gold. Touchdown. 

🏈Cop the recipe below! If you need me, I'll be pigging out in the kitchen all game long. 🏈

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Grilled Bananas

• 2 slightly ripe bananas, peeled
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar  
• Kingsford Charcoal briquettes 

Directions

Using a paring knife, slice the bananas in half lengthwise. Coat each banana piece with honey, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes. On your charcoal grill, place the bananas cut side down and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the bananas over and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Serve immediately with bananas foster sauce and other toppings. 

Bananas Foster Sauce

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 banana, sliced
• 2 tablespoons dark rum 

Directions

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter until completely melted. Stir in the brown sugar and bananas. Cook until caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. Add rum and using a grill lighter, flambé the sauce. Cook until the flame goes out, then remove from heat and set aside. 

Bourbon Whipped Cream 

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar 
• 1 tablespoon bourbon 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• creole cream cheese or vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• 1/4 sheet edible gold leaf

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, bourbon and vanilla on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Top the bananas with bananas foster sauce, ice cream, whipped cream, pecans and edible gold leaf. 

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This post was sponsored by Kingsford Charcoal. All opinions are my own.

vietnamese iced coffee granita sundae

Did you know that only EIGHT percent of New Year's resolutions actually get achieved? Crazy right? Remember that time I made an epic New Year's resolution to post a blog every week? Well.... I'm definitely not part of that 8%. 

So where have I been you ask? Suffering the miserable life of an undergraduate college student taking two too many classes, working one too many jobs and having the joy of commuting between two equally as dysfunctional households on different sides of one giant lake. Woe is me, lol. But it's over with. Finally!!! Somehow, I even managed to do well in school (after announcing that "everybody has a bad semester, and I'm okay that this one is mine") and even won an award for it! Oh, I went to a freezing cold New York, bleached my entire scalp, and drunk texted Molly Yeh about cheese fries in Texas in this period, too. 

Rest assured, I'm not leaving again. I've missed all of my lovely internet friends way too much and will spending the next few days cooped up in bed post-wisdom teeth surgery being paranoid about dry sockets and making the rounds visiting all of your pretty blogs. :)  Let's celebrate with some dessert! 

A few days ago, French Market Coffee sent me a giant box of coffee and challenged me to create a killer New Orleans-themed recipe. I obviously obliged, because coffee is the sole reason why I got through this semester from hell and coffee plus dessert is the greatest combination like.... ever. 

Now I know what you're thinking, Vietnamese iced coffee .... New Orleans??? Did you know that New Orleans has thriving Vietnamese population and a killer Viet restaurant scene? Did you know that my diet pretty much consists of nothing but banh mi and spring rolls? Did you know that Vietnamese is the fourth most spoken language in the entire state of Louisiana? Did you know that I just looked that up on Wikipedia? Bam. 

Because Vietnamese iced coffee is the delicious marriage of chicory coffee and condensed milk, I figured I would deconstruct it and turn it into something even more delicious than the drink itself.

The result: granita sundaes. Granitas are generally served alone or with a bit of whipped cream, but I truly believe in calorie-loading so I covered mine in layers upon layers of ice cream. Condensed milk ice cream, to be exact. On top of all of that, I covered the whole deal in even more condensed milk, because why not? 

I know this all sounds potentially stressful, but this dessert is super easy! The granita is literally just coffee and sugar, mixed, frozen, and sloshed around with a fork a few times. The ice cream is a no-churn situation, with only three ingredients and a quick freeze. You can even lie and act like you broke out that fancy Cuisinart ice cream maker that you've never used, I won't tell! Promise!

Brb, I'll be eating the leftover granita for the rest of my summer.

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Chicory Coffee Granita 

• 2 cups hot brewed French Market Coffee & Chicory chicory coffee 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

make: 

In a medium-sized bowl, dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee. Once dissolved, stir in vanilla. Transfer the mixture into an 8-inch metal baking pan. Freeze the mixture, making sure to stir the mixture vigorously with a fork every 30 minutes until slushy, about 2 hours. 

Condensed Milk Ice Cream 

• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream 
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract 
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk, plus extra for drizzling

make: 

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream and vanilla on high until soft peaks form. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue whipping until high peaks form. Transfer the mixture into a bowl or loaf pan and freeze until set, at least four hours or overnight. 

When ready to serve, layer the granita and ice cream in a bowl or coffee mug. Drizzle with extra condensed milk! 

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This post is sponsored by French Market Coffee. All opinions are my own and this sundae is literally amazing so don't be fooled. 

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magic bar milkshakes

Hello, old friends! 

Waaaaay too much has happened since we've last spoken. In no specific order: Mardi Gras left me with a broken knee and a broken phone and well... broke, Lady Gaga won like all of the Oscar's ever, I was featured as Yahoo's Blogger of the Week, and we all freaked out over a damn dress. (It's blue and black, let's be real.) Something's totally in the water right now. 

When life errs on the crazier side, I crave more simple pleasures. It makes sense really: when my mind is occupied with trying to be a student and a person at the same time, that special compartment where I dream up chicken and waffles cakes and king cake fries sometimes gets lost in the background. Right now, I'm on a major bar kick.... 

Magic bars. Seven layer bars. Hello Dolly bars. Whatever you call them, they're freaking delicious. 

While they're perfect on their own, I've recently discovered that magic bar milkshakes are the new frontier. Caramel and vanilla ice cream blended with graham crackers, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips, then topped with condensed milk whipped cream, toasted coconut, pecans, and actual magic bar pieces. 

Spring Break diet, who? 

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Magic Bar Milkshakes 

(makes two delicious milkshakes) 

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup caramel ice cream 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 graham crackers 
• 4 tablespoons butterscotch chips
• 2 tablespoons semisweet or milk chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut, toasted 
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• chopped magic bars (optional)

make: 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and condensed milk and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside. 

In a blender, combine the ice creams, milk, graham crackers, butterscotch and chocolate chips. Blend together until smooth. Immediately pour into glasses and top with condensed milk whipped cream, toasted coconut, and magic bar pieces.