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Banana Ice Cream

Source of Recipe

From "The Ultimate Ice Cream Book" by Bruce Weinstein


Recipe Introduction

"For the strongest banana flavor, look for very ripe bananas with no green patches. A few brown spots are okay, since it means the sweetest banana taste is inside. Adding the banana liqueur can also intensify the flavor."

List of Ingredients

◦ ⅔ cup sugar
◦ 2 large eggs
◦ 1 � tablespoons all-purpose flour
◦ ⅛ teaspoon salt
◦ 1 � cups milk
◦ 2 large, very ripe bananas
◦ 1 cup light cream
◦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
◦ 2 tablespoons banana liqueur (optional)


Recipe

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the flour and salt. Set aside.

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Slowly beat the hot milk into the eggs and sugar. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble. Remove from the heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl.

Mash the bananas with the back of a fork until they are creamy, or pur�e them in a food processor. Add the banana pur�e to the hot custard and mix well. Allow the banana custard to cool slightly. Stir in the cream, vanilla, and liqueur, if using. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in one or two batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Makes about 1 quart





Variations:

❧ Banana Coconut Ice Cream:
Substitute coconut milk for the dairy milk. Proceed with the recipe as directed, adding � cup toasted sweetened coconut to the machine when the ice cream is semifrozen. Allow the machine to mix in the coconut. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

❧ Banana Daiquiri Ice Cream:
Add � cup dark rum and 1 tablespoon bottled sweetened lime juice to the custard before freezing. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

❧ Tropical Banana Crunch Ice Cream:
Add � cup Grape-Nuts cereal and � cup chopped toasted cashews to the machine when the ice cream is semifrozen. Allow the machine to mix in the additional ingredients. Proceed with the recipe as directed.