6 tbsp. butter
6 tbsp. light brown sugar
5 bananas, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise, one per serving
1/4 c. dark rum

Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat. Saute bananas about 5 minutes, turning once. Stir in brown sugar and cook about 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Add rum, if desired, and then heat another minute. Bananas should be soft, not mushy. Cooking time will vary according to ripeness of bananas. Spoon into serving dishes and top with vanilla ice cream.