Recipe 12: Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

                  This week’s recipe, simply titled Banana Pudding Ice Cream, comes from a new source: Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States: Make the Real Recipes from the Greatest Ice Cream Parlors in the Country by Lindsay Clendaniel.  My sister checked this book out from the library about a week ago.  It’s a wonder.  The recipes are unique and extremely flavorful such as Chai Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Pumpkin Ale Ice Cream, both of which I can’t wait to try.  I’ve also discovered that Ms. Clendaniel writes an ice cream blog, Scoop Adventures, and look forward to perusing it.  In fact, I think I’ll write a review of the book and her blog, so stay tuned!

                  As a side note, I’d like to add that I’m much more impressed with Scoop Adventures than I am with Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts, the other ice cream book I was using.  It’s obvious that Ms. Clendaniel has actually made each of these recipes and has made sure that all of the quantities and ingredients work.  I’ve used Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts for a few recipes and have always had to tweak.  It’s refreshing to find a cookbook that’s actually made the recipes in it.

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
• 1 ¾ cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 ripe bananas
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups chopped vanilla wafers

Directions

1. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat until the mixture is hot and the sugar dissolves – about 4 minutes.
3. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring ½ cup of the warmed cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly until combine.
4. Return the warmed yolks to the pan with the remaining cream mixture.  Heat the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl.
5. Cut the bananas into chunks and puree in a blender with the nutmeg and lemon juice until smooth.  Add the hot milk mixture and blend to combine.
6. Pour the custard into a medium bowl and set aside to cool, whisking occasionally.  Add the vanilla and stir to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.  Freeze the vanilla wafers overnight.
7. Once chilled, pour the ice cream base into an ice cream maker canister and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  When churning is complete, fold in the vanilla wafer.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm – at least 4 hours.

                  This ice cream turned out perfectly and tasted exactly like banana pudding.  There was a slight frost in the texture from the bananas, but it quickly thawed, leaving you with a slippery, thick, creamy texture.  The banana flavor was strong but not cloying or unbearable, and the Nilla Wafers maintained their integrity well.  It wasn’t until about four days later that they began to get soggy.

                  It was a really fun little recipe and made the whole apartment soooo happy!  We just sat around eating it out of the container.  I highly recommend this recipe and Scoop Adventures.  You’re going to love both of them.

Overview

• Base prep time: 30 minutes
• Base chill time: overnight
• Ice cream set time: at least 4 hours
• Taste: very creamy and smooth with a noticeable banana flavor and pleasant chunks of vanilla wafer that really bring out the banana
• Difficulty level: low to medium
• Expense level: low to medium
• Makes: about 6 cups (1 ½ quarts)