The Sweetness Factor

• Traditional bananas Foster calls for both rum spirits and banana liqueur to be incorporated into the sauce. Each imparts its own unique flavor. However, you may not enjoy rum flavor, or perhaps you just don't have any rum on hand. No recipe is carved in stone, and substituting additional banana liqueur in place of the rum is perfectly acceptable. Keep in mind though, that rum, due to the fermentation and distillation of sugarcane, contains no sugar. Banana liqueur is normally very sweet because of added sugars. Therefore, rather than adding additional banana liqueur and risking an overly sweet sauce, simply omit the rum.

The Art of Flambe

• Flambeing, an integral step in preparing bananas Foster, involves the act of lighting alcohol in a dish. It not only imparts whimsy and excitement to the dessert but also burns raw alcohol while infusing the sauce with additional aroma and flavor. Eighty-proof rum provides 40 percent alcohol per volume, whereas banana liqueur, depending on the brand, normally provides 15 percent alcohol per volume. Flambeing works best when a higher percentage of alcohol per volume is used. If flambeing is important for your presentation and you choose to omit rum spirits, then choose a brand of banana liqueur with a higher concentration of alcohol. However, any liqueur or spirit over 120 proof will combust when ignited, and therefore is too dangerous to use for flambeing.

Substitutions for Rum

• Bananas Foster is made with ingredients such as brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and, of course, bananas, which pair well with flavors other than rum. Alcoholic substitutions such as vodka impart little flavor, while vanilla vodka adds a hint of vanilla flavor; both work for flambeing. Nonalcoholic substitutions such as orange or pineapple juice and rum or vanilla extract may also be used to replace rum.

Safety and Tips

• Use extreme caution when flambeing, and always keep a large metal cover nearby while flaming to extinguish any flame that might get out of control. Flambeing should be conducted away from table and guests. Never carry flaming dishes. Cold spirits and liqueur will not ignite, so heat the spirits and liqueur until just slightly bubbly before adding a flame. However, do not boil the alcohol as it will burn off and not ignite. To retain some of the alcohol flavor, cover the dish with a heavy lid and extinguish the flame. To flambe nonalcoholic versions of bananas Foster, soak sugar cubes in a flavored extract such as rum or vanilla extract and place around the inside edge of the dish; light as usual.