Banana Ice Cream

Lately I've been trying to make ice creams that recall something sweet and delicious that I love. Banana bread is one of these things, but it's only recently that I've perfected my banana bread.

My approach to ice cream (in this case banana) is to look at the ingredients in banana bread and try to use them in my ice cream. Bananas have to be over-ripe to achieve a rich banana flavor.

Microwave the bananas for five minutes and then using a fine mesh strainer separate out the banana juice. Simmer the banana juice until it is reduced by half and add back to the bananas. What you achieve is a deeper, richer banana flavor and a banana bread that is much lighter.

Ingredients:

• Over-ripe bananas (black and soft), peeled and mashed - 2 ½ cups, about 6 bananas (600 grams)
• Cream, ½ liter
• Sugar, ½ cup ( 100 grams)
• Eggs, two whole
• Toasted pine nuts, 1 cup (125 grams) - optional
• Dark rum, ⅛ cup (30 ml) - optional

Procedure:

• Use a potato ricer to mash the bananas. Don't process the bananas: you want to have some bits of banana in the ice cream.
• Whisk the sugar, cream and egg together in a saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon.
• Place the pan in an ice bath and cool thoroughly, stirring occasionally.

• Cook the mashed bananas in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.
• Strain the bananas for about 30 minutes over a fine mesh strainer.

• The banana juice, once cool, has a gelatinous appearance. Cook it in a saucepan until reduced by half.

• Whisk the cream mixture, banana pulp, banana juice and rum together until well amalgamated.
• Place the mixture in the freezer.
• Every half hour whisk, or stir, the mixture vigorously until frozen solid to avoid the formation of ice crystals.
• Place the pine nuts in a frying pan and toss gently until just golden. Cool.
• Once the ice cream is almost frozen solid stir in the pine nuts.

I made the ice cream in four different ways: without pine nuts and rum, with pine nuts only, with rum only and with pine nuts and rum. It was great all four ways. This ice cream is so tasty, and the texture of the bananas so luscious, that I think I like it best just with bananas.

If you are allergic to dairy or eggs an alternative is to replace them with brown sugar and coconut milk.