If there is one thing I crave on a consistent basis, it’s ice cream. Dare I say even more than chocolate (gasp!) Whether it be gelato, sorbetto, frozen yogurt or its classic incantation, there is nothing more satisfying than tucking into a pint to celebrate or remedy a no good, very bad day.

For this girl, there’s not much that ice cream can’t fix and in those bites of cold, creamy perfection I’m a kid again without a care in the world. For my most recent birthday I was gifted an Ice Cream & Gelato maker and have been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make your own ice creams with aid of such a machine as well as how much better it tastes than the store bought cartons filled with unnatural ingredients I can’t pronounce.

I look forward to sharing my frozen concoctions with you on my ice cream journey. After all, I’ve never come across a flavor I didn’t like!

Anyone got a spoon?

Bananas Foster Ice Cream
Source: Adapted from “Banana Pudding Ice Cream” by Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
• 2 ripe or frozen and thawed bananas, sliced in half crosswise and lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons dark rum (I used Bacardi)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until frothy. Add the brown sugar, and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Sauté the sugar, until it reduces to a rapidly bubbling, syrupy consistency, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the bananas, and stir, turning them in the sugar for about 1 1/2 minutes, until they are well coated and softening.
2. Pour the rum over the contents of the skillet (It will sizzle so feel free to do it slowly if you’re a chicken like me). Let it cook for a minute or two to insure you have burned off the alcohol. Note: It is imperative that the alcohol burns out or the ice cream won’t freeze properly. Carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or blender.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a whisk, then add the sugar and beat rapidly until the mixture is a milky lemon-yellow color. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 6 to 8 minutes (you may see steam rising from the pan, but the milk should not start to boil). Pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the banana mixture in the food processor and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Reserve and let cool.
4. Add the remaining 1 cup hot milk (slowly and in a thin stream) into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the custard back into the saucepan or, preferably, the top of a double boiler to better control the temperature, and cook slowly over low heat, stirring constantly. When the custard reaches 170 degrees F on a thermometer (a thermometer isn’t necessary, the custard is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon), turn off the heat. Add the banana puree to the custard and gently whisk to incorporate it completely. Let the custard cool to room temperature, and whisk in the cream. Transfer to a pitcher or other container and refrigerate for 4 hours or as designated by your ice cream maker until the custard is very cold but not frozen.
5. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the ice cream becomes stiff and holds its shape.
6. Freeze the ice cream until it has hardened, at least 2 hours.

Notes:

I would highly recommend this Cuisinart Ice Cream & Gelato Maker that I received as a birthday gift. It’s like the Rolls Royce of ice cream paraphernalia and one of the only I’ve seen that makes both ice cream & gelato. You also don’t need to pre-freeze your bowl and it has a keep cool feature that will keep your sweet treat cold until you’re ready to serve. Obviously, you can find many more reasonable and effective ice cream makers in the market as well.

Pretty please, with a cherry on top!