The Forum: Put your dessert on the barbie

If you figured on breaking open a bag of briquets and firing up the barbecue this weekend, you might want to factor dessert in there, too.

(Have you noticed that 20-pound-size bags are still but probably only fleetingly selling for about the same price as usual, but now contain only 17 pounds?)

So then, as long as you have your griller going anyway, wring some extra mileage out of those apparently ever-pricier briquets with this pair of Del Monte recipes designed to do dessert without a whole lot of fuss or bother.

Choose the kebabs and, once they’re cooked and you’ve cut them into mouth-size pieces, let the kids string them (as long as you can oversee the job, of course) on the skewers.

Or, if the sundaes sound like a good possibility, grill the bananas, lop them into bias-cut chunks and let the kids drop them onto bowls of ice cream and throw on the nuts.

All things considered, it might make sense to consider making:

CINNAMON FRUIT KEBABS

Apples

Pears

Bananas

1/2cup butter, melted

3tablespoons brown sugar

1teaspoon ground cinnamon

Rinse, pat dry but do not peel fruit. Cut apples and pears in half or wedges. Bananas must be cut lengthwise. Remove cores.

In small bowl, blend together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; baste fruit and place on grill with skin side up. Grill over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes for halves, 4 to 5 minutes for rings or wedges. Once fruit is cooked, cut into smaller bites to place on skewers, alternating each fruit to your liking.

Brush with any remaining basting mixture and serve immediately.

GRILLED BANANA SUNDAES

2tablespoons butter

6tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4cup water

4bananas, peeled

1tablespoon butter, melted

Vanilla ice cream

1/2cup pecan pieces

In small saucepan, combine the 2 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, vanilla and water; bring to boil, stir to dissolve sugar and let cook at a full boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool. (If the mixture seems too thin when cool, simply return to heat and boil for another 30 to 60 seconds.)

Brush bananas with the melted butter and place on a very hot grill. While bananas are grilling, turn them periodically and brush with some of the brown sugar mixture.

The bananas will only take a few minutes to heat through. If they are very ripe, they will cook very quickly. Remove bananas from grill and cut each into 3 pieces on the bias.

Scoop ice cream into bowls and top each with 3 pieces of banana. Spoon warm brown sugar mixture over the top and finish with a sprinkle of pecans.

Makes 4 servings.