Dessert

Baked bananas with passion fruit

This is so easy and unusual. You guests will be very impressed! Serve this with creme fraiche with finely chopped fresh mint in it. Thank you to the wonderful Nigel Slater

Serves 4

4 ripe bananas
2 tbsp runny honey (good quality)
a little lemon juice
6 passion fruits
juice of 1/2 an orange

Hot bananas have a seductive richness about them. Some might even say too rich so the tart, exotic flavor of the passionfruit is the perfect contrast to the richness and it’s one of the most fragrant hot desserts you will make.

Wrap each banana in aluminum foil, leaving the top open. The easy way to do this is to place the foil flat on a work surface, place a banana on each one, then bring up the sides of the foil to make little packets for the fruit.
Drizzle the honey over the bananas.
Squeeze a little lemon juice in each packet then drizzle over the orange juice.
Cut the passionfruit in half and squeeze four of the halves over the banana parcels.

Scrunch together the foil at the top to seal.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for about 20 mins max. (It might be worth looking at them at 15 minutes)
Test for doneness with a skewer.
Put the parcels on to plates and hand around.
Give everyone two halves of a passionfruit as each diner should squeeze their passionfruit on to their bananas as they open the packet.
The scent will be exquisite.

A passionfruit is ripe when it is severely wrinkled. But it should still weigh heavy in the hand. That is a sign that it is full of juice