Summer Cooking: Bananas Foster Ice Cream

Before leaving for a week's vacation, I noticed a plethora of ripe bananas in my fruit bowl, the unfortunate outcome of buying a bunch when a bunch was not needed. At first I thought banana bread, but then I decided to try my hand at banana ice cream, seeing as though banana milkshakes are one of my all-time favorite summer treats.

I found a couple recipes online, eventually making my own, based on Lebovitz' recipe.

I sliced up 4 very large, very ripe (lots of freckles) bananas plus a small one. I threw them in a large skillet with 3/4 brown sugar and a pinch of salt over medium heat, bringing to a boil.

After 4-5 minutes, when the bananas were cooked through and soft, I added in two cups of heavy cream:

Off the heat, I stirred in one teaspoon dark rum and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, then poured the contents into a blender and processed until smooth:

When it was done blending, I tasted for sweetness and added a squeeze lime juice.

And because waiting is the hardest part, I aided the cooling down process by plunging the mixture into an ice bath and whisking away:

A short while later, after finishing the cooling process in the fridge, I threw that mixture into the ice cream maker and churned away. Twenty minutes later, this little filly decided to give it a whirl:

Maddie tested, Maddie approved.

This is not a necessary, but highly recommended, part of the recipe: snuggling post ice-cream making and tasting.

Bananas Foster Ice Cream

4-5 large or 6-7 medium sized bananas, very ripe, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

3/4 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp dark rum (this adds taste and keeps the mixture from getting too hard during freezing. Brilliant!)

1/2 tsp vanilla

lime juice to taste

Place banana slices, brown sugar and salt in large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Cook 4-5 minutes or until bananas are cooked through and softened.

Stir in heavy cream and mix well.

Off heat, stir in rum and vanilla. Place mixture in blender and process until smooth.

Cool mixture in fridge until cold (when chilled, the mixture may be very thick. Just whisk until it is easy to pour).

Chill in ice cream mixture per instructions.