Mutiny with Bananas

Well, it was destined to happen eventually.  Complete and abject failure.  Because Mutiny on the Bounty takes place in Tahiti, I thought it would be a nice idea to try something Tahitian.  I thought first to do something with breadfruit, as that plant figures so prominently in the film, but do you have any idea how difficult it is to find breadfruit in Boston?  After giving up that route, I found a recipe called a Po'e, a traditional Tahitian bread pudding.  The instructions were pretty easy, and I happily put my pudding in the oven, expecting exotic results.  I'll provide the instructions, should you feel intrepid.

Tahitians presumably making Po'e in Mutiny on the Bounty

Traditional Po'e

You'll need:
Ripe bananas, peeled and cut into chunks, 6-8
1 papaya
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coconut cream

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Puree the bananas and papaya in a blender or food processor. There should be enough puree to make 4 cups.
2. Mix together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Add this mixture and the vanilla to the bananas and process well. There should not be any lumps of starch. Adjust sugar to taste.
3. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and pour in the puree. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the pudding is firm and bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled.
4. Cut into cubes and place into a large serving bowl or in individual bowls. Top with a dollop of coconut cream, a little more brown sugar and serve.

Po'e pre-oven...you don't want to see the after...

What resulted was a kind of brown rubber hockey puck, vaguely tasting of bananas and glue.  I think I might have added too much cornstarch.  Picture a bananay cake thing that looks and tastes like an the inside of an old Fig Newton.  Fail.  I take it it does not taste this way when Tahitians bake it in banana leaves.  So much for being exotic.

So after throwing a temper tantrum, I made my own pudding dessert.  Screw the Tahitians.  But I added bananas because, well, at least it's a little tropical.

My Improvised Far-Cooler-Than-The-Po'e Pudding Pie
You'll Need:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbsps sugar
1 ready-made graham cracker crust, or Pillsbury regular crust
1 packages of instant chocolate pudding, pie filler
2 cups milk
Some graham crackers
A few bananas
A bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. If you are using a Pillsbury crust, like I did, put the crust in a pie tin and bake for approximately 10 minutes.  Cool completely.
2. Follow the instructions on the pudding box and make it using the milk.
3. Usually some kind of electric mixer, whisk the heavy cream and sugar until it forms stiff peaks, making whipped cream.
4. Mix some of the whipped cream with the pudding to make it more mousse-like, about 1/2-1 cup.
5. Pour the pudding mixture into the crust.
6. Cover the top with the rest of the whipped cream.
7. Crush up some graham crackers and sprinkle them over the top.  Slice up the bananas and add them as well.
8. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle that over the pie as desired.  Refrigerate at least an hour, until firm.

This recipe, or some variation of it, is my go-to dessert if I'm ever in a pinch.  It is easy, cheap, and quick to make.  Often, if I'm trying a new dessert for a party, I'll have a back-up dessert handy (like this one).  More than once, I've slaved all day making some extremely complicated torte or souffle, only to have it fall or crumble.  This is why it's always good to have a back-up dessert that is easy, quick and that everyone loves.  Who doesn't like chocolate pudding pie?  No one.  This way, you can still say you worked hard and made a dessert from scratch (kind of).  So once again, my pudding pie has saved the day.  Take that, Tahitians.

 PS-  If you're wondering why there are only bananas on half the pie, it's not because I'm trying some advanced pie aesthetic, it's because my roommate hates bananas and I didn't want to eat the whole thing myself. :-)

Love Triangle Brownies

I have to admit that I had trouble coming up with food that would fit this movie.  How do you make musical food?  Should I make New York food?  It felt like a cop out.  But thankfully I was craving brownies at the time, so I finally threw up my hands and decided I would look into making something chocolatey. 

I would like to take a moment to thank Tastespotting.com.  I love recipes, and a friend recently pointed out this website.  It’s fantastic, and I’ve found some of my best recipes this way.  Tastespotting.com shows clips of recipes from various blogs on the internet, so you can search for a particular recipe and see what others are doing.  Check it out!

Anyway, I was sitting on couch, having procrastinated most of the day.  It was pouring outside, as it had been for most of the weekend.  The kind of rain that makes you never, EVER, want to leave your house.  I flicked casually through Tastespotting.com, looking for a recipe I could make out of ingredients I already had, that would fit my movie, and that wouldn’t require much effort.  And from mashing several recipes together, Love Triangle Brownies were born.

The Brownie Part

You’ll need:
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Butter and flour a small glass baking dish, preferably 8x 8 or 9x 9.
3. In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugars and vanilla.  Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Gradually add flour, cocoa, and salt and mix until combined
5. Pour the brownie batter into the dish and set aside.

The Snickers Part
You’ll need:
1 bag of mini Snickers

1. Unwrap a Snickers and slice them into around three pieces. Do this for about 5 snickers.
2. Push the snickers slices down into the brownies, push them in until they are completely submerged.

The Peanut Butter Part

You’ll need:
2 tablespoons butter
8 tsps dark brown sugar
4 1/4 ounces smooth peanut butter
scant 1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan (or use the microwave and a microwave-safe bowl).
2. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the brown sugar, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar. It is a little stiff, so use a mixer if you have one, or spend time kneading.

And To Bring Them Together…

Crumble the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownies, covering as much as you can, according to your preference.

Place the dish in the oven for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.  Let the brownies cool for 5-10 minutes. 

Slice and place on a plate or eat out of the dish, it’s up to you!

You know your brownies are a success when your roommate comes out of her room, looks at the plate, and says very clearly, “I hate you.”  These brownies have been steadily disappearing over the past week.  I also think they would have worked pretty well as brownie bites.  Anyone want to try and see?