Grilled pineapple sundaes

Here’s a recipe well suited to the baking-phobic among us. Just about anyone who has grilled a steak and made a butter sauce can master this.

The sauce is a riff on the traditional bananas Foster sauce. It’s a little leaner, and some fresh orange juice adds a pleasant hint of acid.

It’s nice to show off the sundaes in 8-ounce parfait glasses, but any dessert bowls of similar volume will work.

Make ahead: The pineapple can be grilled up to a day in advance; refrigerate until ready to serve. You could also pre-scoop the yogurt to make assembly at the last minute even easier.

Grilled pineapple sundaes with brown sugar-rum sauce

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into generous 1/4-inch thick rings (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds trimmed and sliced)

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup dark rum

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Six 1 to 1 1/2 ounce scoops nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt

Steps

Prepare the grill for direct heat: If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (400 degrees) with the lid closed. If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them evenly over the cooking area. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for 4 to 6 seconds. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames. Brush the grill grate.

Arrange the pineapple slices on the grill. Close the lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pineapple has nice brown grill marks. Use a spatula to loosen and flip the pineapple slices over. For a gas grill, close the lid and reduce the heat to medium; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or as needed for the slices to get good grill marks and heat through. For a charcoal grill, cook uncovered in the same manner.

Transfer to a platter; once the pineapple slices are cool enough to handle, cut each one into 1/2-inch-wide pieces.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, rum, orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; cook for 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Keep a close eye on the sauce; if it gets too hot it might boil over. Remove from the heat; add the pineapple, stirring to coat evenly.

Divide the pineapple pieces and sauce among individual serving dishes. Top each portion with a scoop of the frozen yogurt. Serve right away.

Nutrition information per serving: 250 calories, 2 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 25 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 39 g sugar