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DESSERTS

Banana and marzipan spring rolls with cinnamon and banana liqueur

BANANA MARZIPAN2.jpgServes 4

The marinade:
2 teaspoons/10 ml brown sugar
a pinch cinnamon
1 cup/250 ml banana liqueur
juice of 1 lemon
4 bananas, peeled

The spring rolls:
2 sheets spring roll pastry, cut in half
1 tablespoon/15 ml cornstarch, mixed with water to make a light sludge
4 strips of marzipan, 2 cm/0.7 in wide, 8 cm/3 in long and 2 mm/ 0.07 in thick
oil for deep-frying

  • Combine the sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur in a shallow glass dish. Cut the peeled bananas lengthways in half and each half in half, then add to the liqueur marinade and leave for 30 minutes.
  • Drain and reserve the marinade.
  • Brush the edges of each pastry sheet with the cornstarch sludge as you go along.
  • Put a strip of marzipan between two pieces of banana, on the cut side, and place on a sheet of pastry.
  • Roll the pastry up, folding in the sides to prevent the filling from squeezing out, and put aside under a damp cloth. Repeat with the rest of the banana.
  • Heat the oil to about 180°C/356°F and deep-fry the spring rolls until golden. Drain on kitchen towel. Keep warm uncovered.
Safety and practical tips for deep-frying.

To serve:

  • Slice each roll in half at an angle and arrange on the serving plates.
  • Pour the reserved marinade into dipping bowls and serve immediately.
STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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