With Mother’s Day coming up, I perused my very best brunch recipes from my family style cookbook, SUNDAY BEST DISHES. Envisioning a breakfast fit for a queen, I ultimately chose (from so many delicious and syrupy possibilities) BANANAS FOSTER SKILLLET CAKES with…drumroll…cinnamon swirl syrup. This recipe was inspired by a New Orleans classic that features sautéed, caramelized bananas over melting ice cream.

This is a tribute to the original that gets better only if you travel to the Big Easy and eat at the Commanders Palace – home to perhaps the most famous brunch in America. But let’s let Mom sleep in today…The part she’ll love the best is using the extra syrup to dip sweet, crunchy bacon in. But bacon or no bacon, my guess is everyone in the family will want cinnamon swirl syrup – a SUNDAY BEST original – drizzled atop all their future pancakes.

Here’s how to prep the bacon for your Mother’s Day brunch:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Dredge bacon slices in brown sugar. Really pack that sugar onto the bacon. Place each strip onto a rack set into a baking sheet. Cook the bacon for 20 minutes or so, until it is browned and caramelized and yummy. Oh how happy are you!! Oh, by the way, Sunday Best Dishes is the perfect present for the Mom cook in your family. Order your copy from Amazon today and get special pricing.  I’ll send a personalized inscription for your Mom if you email me directly at jorj@jorj.com, subject line: Sign my cookbook!

Bananas Foster Skillet Cakes

with Cinnamon Swirl Syrup

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Banana Cream

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons dark molasses

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 whole banana, peeled and slice into rounds

Whisk together cream cheese, condensed milk, buttermilk, molasses and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat. Cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add water to thin the syrup to desired consistency if necessary. Stir in the bananas and keep warm.

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Skillet Cakes

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon table salt

1 ½ cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 large egg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus 1 tablespoon butter

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, maple syrup, egg and melted butter in a separate bowl. Stir wet ingredient into the dry ingredients.

Heat an electric griddle (or non-stick skillet) over medium heat. Melt together the canola oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Ladle the batter into the pan. Cook until the batter bubbles and the edges begin to crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the skillet cakes and cook on the second side until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove to a platter and keep warm in a 200° oven (or warming drawer). Repeat with the remaining batter using additional canola oil and butter as needed.

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Cinnamon Syrup

¾ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup sweetened condensed milk

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Whisk the syrup, condensed milk and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat until just combined, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter. Keep warm.

Build the dish by layering a skillet cake topped with a spoonful of banana cream. Continue as high as you dare. Pour cinnamon syrup over the top. Slice into wedges and serve.