Bananas in Coffee Bean Syrup

• HEALTHY
• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 2 cups water
2. 1/2 cup whole espresso beans
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. Two 3-inch strips of lemon zest
5. One 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
6. 8 firm, medium bananas
7. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
8. Plain whole-milk yogurt, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water with the whole espresso beans and bring to a boil. Simmer the beans over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the sugar, strips of lemon zest and pieces of cinnamon stick and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes or until syrupy.
2. Meanwhile, peel the bananas and slice them 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal. In a large, shallow dish, toss the bananas with the lemon juice.
3. Pour the coffee bean syrup over the bananas and let stand until cooled to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours. Spoon the bananas and coffee bean syrup over the yogurt and serve.