The '60s were a time for flaming desserts
September 24 is National Cherries Jubilee Day - not that we need a holiday in order to celebrate the famous flaming dessert. Flambeing has been a method of cooking since the 1800s, but these desserts experienced a resurgence in the 1960s when they became some of the most popular sweet treats of the era.
In order to flambe your dessert, you must use some sort of alcoholic beverage, heated up just enough to ignite. Usually, something flavorful like rum or cognac that complements the rest of the dish is used. Here are four of the most popular flaming desserts and how you can make them yourself! Just make sure you’re safe! Don't use any liquor that is more than 40 percent alcohol.
Cherries jubilee
Cherries jubilee consists of a warm cherry sauce poured over ice cream. You can use chocolate, vanilla or any other variety that your sweet tooth calls to. It’s pretty easy as well! According to All Recipes, all you need to do is mix sugar and corn starch on the stove, along with water and orange juice. Once it’s boiled, add your pitted cherries and some orange zest for flavor. When sauce is done, pour in some brandy and set it ablaze!
Image: Flickr
Bananas Foster
Bananas foster is one of the most popular flambed desserts. Like cherries jubilee, it's served alongiside ice cream. The Food Network suggests melting butter along with brown sugar and heavy cream before adding sliced bananas and whatever and dark rum and lighting it on fire. You can add other accents like chopped nuts, cinnamon or coconut flakes for a tropical twist too!
Image: Flickr
Bombe Alaska
Bombe Alaska can be made without the alcohol - known as a baked Alaska, but why would you choose do go without? Heating the liquor up to this level actually burns a lot of the alcohol off, leaving you with just the flavor. Bombe Alaska can be made in just about any flavor, with meringue, ice cream and pudding. While Delicious suggests drizzling orange liqueur over the top before browning the meringue with the flame, dark rum works as well.
Image: Wikipedia
Crêpes Suzette
There isn't much better than a good crêpe on a Sunday morning. Unless, of course, crêpe Suzette is an option. These crêpes typically don't have a filling, or have a light one like ricotta cheese. What sets crêpe Suzette apart, though is that they're topped with orange zest, sugar and butter, along with an orange liqueur and Cognac. The liquor is set on fire until the alcohol burns off, so a thick, caramelized sauce is left behind.
Image: Flickr