Banana Ice Cream, versions 2 and 3

My second attempt at banana ice cream was an optimistic exercise.  I used three bananas, two cups of whole milk, ¼ cup of brown sugar (why not!), and one teaspoon of vanilla.  The result had a good flavor, but a not so good texture; it was pretty grainy.  Ok, so probably whole milk only doesn’t have enough fat.  Let’s try again!

Maybe the third time’s a charm?  So, I tried three bananas, two cups of heavy cream (might as well go big), ¼ cup of granulated sugar, and one teaspoon of vanilla. This had a better texture, but it was a little too fatty for me (like licking butter).  Maybe it was time to try something else and come back to banana ice cream later.

Coconut Ice Cream, version 1

I was rummaging around in the cupboard and got the idea to try making coconut ice cream. After some Pinterest research, I decided to use: one can of coconut milk, one can of coconut cream, half a cup of sugar (we started with ¼ cup, but it needed a bit more), and a splash of vanilla. 

First, I dumped the contents of both cans in the blender and gave them a whirl to smooth everything out (it had been cold, so the coconut fat was separated and solid).  Then I added the sugar and the vanilla and dumped the whole concoction in the ice cream maker.  After about 15 minutes, I added about a cup of sweetened, shredded coconut.  I ran the machine for 20 minutes total before transferring the mixture to a container so that it could harden in the freezer.  This was delicious, the problem that it was super rock hard.  It would be great for popsicles though.  I decided to try again with half coconut milk and half whole milk, hopeful that will come out scoop-able.

Coconut Ice Cream, version 2

For my next coconut ice cream experiment, I tried one can of coconut milk, then the same amount of whole milk, half a of cup sugar, and a splash of vanilla.  It came out of the ice cream maker so yummy and it seemed like the consistency would be perfect.  But after it spent overnight in the freezer, it was rock-hard too.

I started to think that I need to go back to sweetened, condensed milk or bite the bullet and make a proper custard…

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Surprisingly, it is not that common in your neighborhood super market.  Some stores don’t even carry Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.  If they do, it is usually the only banana ice cream in the aisle.

I know that there is that easy cheat way to make banana “ice cream” where you freeze bananas and then blend them, but I never really got into that.  Fortunately, there is a new Cuisinart Ice Cream maker in our home (thank you Santa!) and I am now enabled to make banana ice cream any way and any time I want.

My first foray into banana ice cream making was sort-of cheat banana “ice cream”, using the ice cream maker.  I blended the five over-ripe bananas that were sitting on my kitchen counter with a can of sweetened condensed milk and a splash of vanilla, then poured the whole concoction into the ice cream maker.  It smelled divine.  Then I put the mostly firm concoction into the freezer to harden.  We wound up with a very banana-y frozen treat.  It had a lovely smooth texture, but it was a little too sweet.  We ate it all anyway.

Mr. Man asked that we make “real” ice cream the next time (not banana flavor).  The booklet that comes with the machine has an easy recipe for vanilla ice cream that does not involve making a custard, so I got some supplies and got to work.  Whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla – I can handle that!  I measured and almost followed the recipe (it called for three cups of heavy cream, but the store sold it in a two-cup container, so I went with a little more milk and a little less cream). It wasn’t Trader Joe’s Super Premium Vanilla, but it was still yummy.

I made sure that I picked up a good-sized bunch of bananas when I was at the store for ice cream supplies so that I will be set to make banana ice cream again next weekend.  This time I’m going to riff on the vanilla ice cream recipe just using banana (not as many as last time), whole milk, and a splash of vanilla.  I’m thinking that the banana will sort-of be the substitute for the cream, but that I also won’t need to add any sugar.  It’s not that I’m trying to be healthy about it, I’m just lazy.  I will let you know how it turns out!

I’m looking forward to finding the right banana ice cream base and then experimenting with all the other little touches.  Maybe a peanut butter swirl?  Chocolate chips for sure!  Maybe banana pudding style with Nilla wafer crumbles and banana chunks?  The list is long.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  I need some suggestions so that I don’t just make banana ice cream every week.

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