makes
4
prep
55 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Ace
makes
4
serves
preparation
55
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Ace
level
Ingredients
Caramel macadamias
- 300 g macadamia nuts
- 125 g caster (superfine) sugar
- 25 ml water
- 10 g unsalted butter
- pinch of salt
Bananas
- 4 ripe bananas (small to medium)
- 800 g good-quality white chocolate
- Oil soluble yellow colour
- 120 g grapeseed oil
- Dutch-process cocoa powder, for dusting
Whipped white chocolate ganache
- 250 ml fresh cream (A)
- 25 g honey
- 25 g liquid glucose
- 220 g good quality white chocolate
- pinch of nutmeg
- 375 ml fresh cream (B), cold
For assembly
Refrigeration time: 4 hours
Assemble within one hour of making the banana.
Instructions
1. To make the caramel macadamias, preheat oven to 160°C and roast the nuts until they turn a light golden-brown colour. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
2. Place the water and sugar into a copper bowl and bring to the boil, washing down the sides of the bowl, if required, with a clean brush and water to remove any sugar crystals built up on the sides of the bowl.
3. Once the sugar syrup to 114°C, add in the roasted macadamias while nuts are still warm. Remove from the heat and stir the mixture until the sugar re-crystallises around the macadamias.
4. Turn the heat back on to medium and caramelise the sugar, stirring gently and individually coating each nut. Once caramelised, turn the heat off and add the butter and salt, stirring until the nuts are evenly coated.
5. Separate each nut individually on a baking mat. Once cool, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until assembly.
6. To make the bananas, place the whole bananas with their skins on in the fridge for 20 minutes.
7. Place the white chocolate in a plastic bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until you have 50% liquid and 50% pieces of chocolate. Stir it vigorously without additional heat until all the chocolate has completely melted. If you have some resistant buttons you can gently heat the chocolate with a hair dryer while stirring.
8. Sieve in some yellow colour and mix until you achieve a banana colour. Add in the oil and mix until combined. Transfer the mixture to a jug tall enough to dip in the banana.
9. Place a skewer into each banana and dip into the chocolate. Hold the banana above the jug until it stops dripping then transfer to a lined tray. Leave at room temperature until required.
10. Once the chocolate has set, brush patches of cocoa powder onto the bananas to replicate a real fruit.
11. To make the whipped chocolate ganache, add the cream (A), honey and glucose to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil.
12. Place the white chocolate and nutmeg in a bowl and pour the hot mixture on top. Whisk until smooth.
13. Add in the chilled cream (B) and whisk again until smooth, then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Remove from the fridge and thicken the ganache with a whisk to achieve a consistency that allows you to scoop it.
14. To assemble the split, roughly chop the caramel macadamias. Sprinkle some of the chocolate soil onto the serving plate and place the banana on top. Warm a spoon or ice cream scoop and place a large scoop of the white chocolate ganache onto the plate. Sprinkle with chopped caramelised macadamia nuts to finish.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
