Birthdays and other celebrations in my family always mean one thing: I’m doing the baking. I’m fine with this arrangement. I even get mad at others who attempt to help. So as I thought about what I wanted to do for my birthday post I’ve realized that I have never made a birthday cake for myself. Not even a cupcake. I’ve read food blogs where people complain about being stuck making their own birthday cakes, but for me it’s the other way around. I enjoy making birthday cakes, but I guess just not for myself. An easy explanation would be that I love to make things for others more than for myself, but who am I kidding? All of the fun is in eating your creations.  I don’t think I could go a day without eating something sweet.

So this year is no different; I did not make a birthday cake. I made Gordon Ramsay’s banana mousse with butterscotch. It seemed fitting for a 21st birthday. It was a very seductive mousse yet it did not contain an ounce of alcohol. How predictable would that be? Instead it had a sweet banana flavor to celebrate the child inside me. The butterscotch gave it just enough of the richness you would expect from something in a martini glass.

Double the recipe. Trust me you’ll want more.

Banana Mousse with Butterscotch (from Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food):

Put 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, and 180 ml. chilled whipping cream in a small pan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Let bubble for a minute or two, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat and let the sauce cool completely.  Pour 370 ml. chilled whipping cream into a blender. Peel and chop 4 large ripe bananas that had been chilled in the freezer for 1-2 hours.  Add them to the blender along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Blend until the consistency is smooth, thick and creamy. Spoon a little of the butterscotch sauce around the sides of four martini glasses. Divide the banana mousse among the glasses and top with more butterscotch. Use a small teaspoon to ripple the butterscotch through the mousse. To finish top the mousse with three slices of banana and grate chocolate over the top. Chill until ready to serve.