1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with a little butter.
2. In a large skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves and begins to bubble, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the sliced bananas to the skillet, gently stirring to coat them in the caramel sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bananas begin to soften but don’t break apart.
4. Remove the skillet from heat and carefully stir in the rum, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Be mindful of flames if you choose to flambé — a trick Mama Lou showed me once, lighting the rum briefly to deepen flavor.
5. Pour the banana mixture evenly into your prepared baking dish.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg (if using).
7. In another small bowl, beat the egg with the milk.
8. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. The batter will be thick but slightly pourable.
9. Drop spoonfuls of the batter over the bananas in the dish, covering as much as you can but don’t worry about gaps — the batter will spread during baking.
10. Dot the remaining 1/4 cup butter over the batter in small pieces. This adds richness and helps create a beautiful golden crust.
11. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and cooked through. A toothpick inserted into the biscuit topping should come out clean.
12. Let the cobbler cool for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to settle.

One little secret I learned from Mama Lou is to resist the urge to peek too often while baking. The cobbler needs that steady heat to create its magic. And Ouma always reminds me: “Patience, Sofia, patience.” It’s true — good things take time, especially in the kitchen.