Bacon-Wrapped Bananas w/ Apricot Glaze

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients

  • 12 strips thin-cut bacon
  • 6 bananas, yellow but firm
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 1 cup apricot or pineapple jam, warmed
  • cayenne pepper or chili powder to taste

Special Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • aluminum foil
  • pastry brush
  • wooden skewers or toothpicks

How-to

Cook Bacon Halfway Through

  1. Preheat oven to 400º. Lay bacon slices on parchment-lined sheet pan and cook bacon about halfway through, until it starts to curl, 7-8 minutes. The bacon should not be crispy

Prepare Bananas & Glaze

  1. Peel bananas and cut into 1 - 1½" pieces
  2. Roll lime on a counter-top to soften, slice and squeeze juice of ½ of the lime over bananas. Toss bananas to distribute lime juice and set aside

Wrap, Skewer & Bake

  1. Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil
  2. Cut each piece of bacon in half for shorter strips. Wrap a slice of bacon around each piece of banana, careful not to double-layer the bacon. Secure the bacon end with a toothpick, skewering the banana all the way through
  3. Warm apricot or pineapple jam until smooth enough to coat banana/bacon skewers with a pastry brush. Mix cayenne or chili powder (amount according to preference) with the warmed preserves and brush on each banana liberally. Be sure to reserve some of the jam mixture to brush on the other side of the bananas halfway through cooking. Place on baking sheet, allowing space between to make turning them easier
  4. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet for 8-12 minutes. Check after 8 minutes. Turn over and roast an additional 5-8 minutes until bacon is browned and crispy and fully cooked. Dust with chili powder or cayenne pepper, if desired, before serving