Pancakes with caramelised banana and homemade Nutella-style sauce

Method

1. For the sauce, heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and spread out the nuts in a baking tray. Toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Put the chocolate, 2 tbsp of the cream and the alcohol in a bowl over a pan of steaming (not simmering) water. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. When the chocolate has melted, stir to combine, then take off the heat.
2. Let the hazelnuts cool, then transfer to a food processor, add the oil and whizz for 6-7 minutes to form a smooth paste. Pour the chocolate mixture into the processor and whizz until smooth, then pour in the remaining cream and pulse briefly to bring the sauce together. Return to the chocolate bowl and keep warm over the pan of hot water, with a sheet of cling film touching the surface to prevent a skin forming. Turn the oven to very low.
3. Spread out the 75g sugar in an even layer in your largest frying pan. Put the pan over a low heat and, as soon as the sugar begins to melt in the middle of the pan, put the bananas on top and let the sugar melt around them. Once melted, raise the heat so the sugar turns to caramel. Once it becomes a brick red colour, flip the bananas and cook until well caramelised. Don’t move them much or they’ll break up. Keep warm in the oven on a baking tray lined with baking paper while you make the pancakes.
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4. For the pancakes, mix the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add the egg yolks and stir. Slowly pour in the buttermilk, stirring constantly, to form a smooth, thick batter.
5. In a separate large, spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer until they form soft, floppy peaks. Using a metal spoon or balloon whisk, gently fold the whites into the pancake batter, starting with a tablespoon, then adding the rest in 2 additions, for a light, fluffy batter.
6. Heat a large frying or crepe pan and lightly grease with butter. Drop small ladlefuls of batter into the hot pan, spaced out, then smooth them down so they’re around 10cm wide and 1cm thick. Cook over a low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden underneath, then flip and repeat until fluffy and cooked through. Keep warm in a low oven while you make the rest.
7. To serve, layer up pancakes, top with bananas and a dollop of Greek yogurt, then pour over some of the ‘Nutella’ sauce.