Happy 2nd Blog Birthday!

Two years ago today I started this blog. When I first started this blog I wanted it to be about food. It's obviously still about food, but I wanted it to be more of a place where I reviewed the places I ate at and less of a place about my cooking/baking. Seeing the blog turn more into the latter has been fun and it's amazing how a blog can take on a life of its own. I'm still eating out but eating out has dropped to a very low spot on my priority list since moving back to Miami. This has been a good thing because it has made me really focus on improving myself in the kitchen.
To celebrate this blog birthday I made something very special. I initially wanted to try another recipe for Banana Creme Brulee, but that recipe required a trip to the grocery store. The more pregnant I get, the more lazy I get and I was none too happy with the thought of having to leave the house to go to my always-packed grocery store. So I stayed home and made this recipe instead. The end product was something so delicious and so incredible that we both exclaimed it was one of the best desserts I had made in a long time. Now, I will caution you. If you are not a fan of bananas you will not like this dessert. This dessert is made for the banana lover and for someone who is looking for a new and exciting way to eat creme brulee. The custard itself was not as smooth as your traditional creme brulee but you can't really complain when you are eating pure banana deliciousness.

I want to do something extra special to celebrate the blog turning two so stay tuned for a post about that. Thanks for the support and words of encouragement along the way. I can't wait to see where the blog goes this year!
Hot Banana Creme Brulee
Source: Epicurious (here)

2 medium firm-ripe bananas
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
about 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar such as Sugar in the Raw brand

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Break 1 banana into pieces and purée in a blender with lemon juice, granulated sugar, and yolks until smooth. In a very small saucepan heat cream over moderate heat until hot and add banana mixture, stirring until combined well. Divide mixture between two 2/3-cup ramekins. Put ramekins in a metal baking pan and fill pan with enough boiling-hot water to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Put pan in middle of oven and lay a sheet of foil over each ramekin. Bake custards until set, about 30 minutes.

Set broiler rack so that custard tops will be 1 1/2 to 2 inches from heat and change oven setting to broil. Alternatively, have ready a blowtorch.

Just before serving, very thinly slice remaining banana and arrange slices, overlapping them, over each custard. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over bananas and heat under broiler (or with blowtorch, moving flame evenly back and forth just over sugar) until sugar is melted and caramelized.

NOTE: I topped my custards with the caramelized banana recipe below and didn't return them to the oven.
Caramelized Bananas
Source: adapted from Epicurious (here)

1 banana
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Kahlua

Slice the banana. Melt the butter and sugar in a skillet over medium heat until combined and slightly thickened. Add the sliced banana. Let the bananas cook in the sugar for about 5 minutes and then add the Kahlua.