I love plantains, whether garlicky fried tostones or sweet, but this is my new favorite way to cook them because it's rich, delicious, and so super-easy. No, it's not a "traditional" style, but it has quickly become a tradition in our house.

Step 1: Tools & Ingredients

Ingredients:
3 or more extremely ripe plantains - they should be black and soft!
1/3 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 - 1/2 cup Kahlua, spiced rum, or your favorite flavored alcohol
2 - 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
sprinkle of salt
sprinkle of allspice (or your favorite spice)

Tools:
sharp knife and cutting board
8x11 baking dish
oven pre-heated to 350F

Step 2: Prep Plantains

Use a knife to slice off the end of your plantain, then (if you've got a really ripe plantain) peel carefully to avoid squishing it.
Slice the plantain lengthwise, and place in your baking dish. Repeat as needed to fill the baking dish.

If youmis-estimate the number of plantains you can fit in a pan, just grab another small oven-safe dish and use it as an excuse to try another flavor combination!

Step 3: Add Liquids & Spice

Add equal amounts of heavy cream and Kahlua (or booze of choice), filling until the liquid is near the top of the plantain slices. Depending on the size of your pan, this is likely to be about 1/3-1/2 cup of each.

(I find the cooked-down creamy pan juices the best part, so tend to err on the side of using more than absolutely necessary.)

Sprinkle top with allspice and a pinch of salt.

Step 4: Bake

Place in an oven at 350F, and bake for about 30 minutes or until liquid is bubbly and beginning to thicken.

Remove from the oven, and sprinkle top of each slice with brown sugar.

Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, long enough for the brown sugar to melt into the rest of the creamy goo.

Step 5: Serve

Serve immediately! These are fabulous hot, warm, and cold, though they may not last long enough to get cold.

I suspect they'd store well, but have never gotten to test the theory as they disappear too quickly. We made two huge pans (one with Kahlua, one with spiced rum) at our last brunch, and they disappeared faster than anything else on offer.

Other ideas:
If you're vegan or lactose-intolerant, try this with coconut milk. I didn't have coconut milk on hand when making this at lab, so instead used spiced rum mixed with mango/peach juice. While tasty, it was lacking the extra tastiness that comes from fat, so I'd still recommend the coconut milk if you're subbing.
You could also sub the fruit juice for the booze if you like, though most all the alcohol will evaporate with cooking. I'd personally recommend a spiced rum/mango-peach juice/coconut milk mixture, and may experiment with this next time!