This decadent dessert is a blend of rich chocolate-hazelnut mousse, caramelized bananas, and freshly whipped cream laced with premium quality cacao nibs. It's small on size, but large on taste!
2bananaspeeled and sliced vertically into 12 slices 1/4" thick
¼cupsuperfine white sugar
For the cacao nib whipped cream (must be made ahead – see directions)
¼cupcacao nibschopped into small pieces
2cupsheavy whipping cream
2tablespoonsgranulated sugaror more to taste
Pinchsalt
Instructions
Prepare the whipped cream
At least 6 hours before serving, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, nibs, sugar and salt, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the nibs.
Cover and refrigerate the cream for at least 5 hours or up to 2 days. When ready to use, whip the chilled cream until soft peaks form.
Make the crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pulse graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined.
Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of 12 standard size cupcake tins.
Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are golden, 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Add the Nutella Mousse
Using a stand mixer with the whip attachment, or a standard hand mixer, beat the cream and vanilla until it forms soft peaks. The cream should be VERY cold. I put my cream, the mixing bowl, and even the beaters/whip into the freezer for a few minutes before I whipped the cream. The colder everything is, the better it whips up.
Once the cream is whipped, use a rubber spatula to gently fold the Nutella into the cream.
Use a spoon to fill each of the pie crusts with mousse and place into the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until firmly set.
Caramelize the bananas
Place the bananas onto a sturdy baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with the sugar. If you have a cook's blowtorch, wave it over the bananas until the sugar has caramelized. Otherwise, heat the broiler of your oven to its highest setting and place the baking sheet of bananas under the broiler until golden brown and bubbling. Let cool until the sugar has firmed up.
Top each pie with the prepared whipped cream and top each one with a caramelized banana.