Brown Sugar Spiced Banana Ice Cream Recipes

EASY BANANA ICE CREAM (TIPS + 10 FLAVORS!)

Steps:

• Be sure to start with ripe and spotty bananas. Peel and slice into 1/2-inch slices for easier blending (large chunks tax the motor). Then add to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm (3-4 hours or overnight).
• Add sliced frozen bananas to a food processor fitted with an "S" blade. Then blend for 4-5 minutes or until completely smooth, fluffy, and blended. You'll need to stop occasionally to stir and scrape the sides. You'll be left with a soft serve texture. See "FREEZING" below for freezing tips.
• Add sliced frozen bananas to a high-speed blender, our most recommended model being the Vitamix 5200 for ultimate control and its powerful motor. (The Kitchenaid KSB8270FP Pro Line Series works well, too.) Turn the Vitamix dial to its lowest setting and ensure the switch is flipped to "Variable" NOT "High" to start with. It's too much to jump the motor from 0-100 that fast.
• Once it's started blending, quickly switch from "Variable" to "High" speed and use the tamper to press down and stir/agitate the bananas, which should turn into soft-serve texture banana ice cream quite quickly. If the motor seems to be struggling, stop and pause momentarily. Be sure to switch back to low speed / "Variable," then switch to "High" speed every time to protect the motor.
• Adding flavor to your nice cream is easy! For every flavor besides strawberry, berry, or Salted Caramel, simply add the recommended amounts of each ingredient to your ice cream at this time and blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If making strawberry or berry, we recommend adding them at the beginning with the unblended bananas for best texture.
• At this point you have soft-serve texture banana ice cream. To get more of a scoopable ice cream texture, simply spread into a Tupperware or parchment-lined loaf pan and freeze for 2-3 hours. Then scoop with an ice cream scoop! If too firm, let thaw 15-30 minutes to soften.
• Best when fresh. See freezing instructions above. Frozen banana ice cream should keep for up to 1 month if well covered, though we find it's best when used within the first week.

CINNAMON-SPICED BANANAS

Steps:

• Place bananas in a small microwave-safe bowl. Top with brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; dot with butter., Cover and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until sugar is melted, stirring once. Spoon banana mixture into bowls; top with ice cream. Serve immediately.

BANANA-RUM MACADAMIA FLAMBE WITH BROWN SUGAR ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat a medium non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the butter and swirl to coat the pan. When the butter shimmers, add the bananas and the macadamias and saute, stirring, until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the rum and then flambe the bananas and the macadamias. When the flames are extinguished remove the pan from the heat.
• Place a scoop of the Brown Sugar Ice Cream in a martini glass. Coat the ice cream with the warm flambe sauce and garnish with a banana chips.
• In non-reactive medium saucepan, combine the milk, brown sugar, vanilla bean, and heat over medium heat until scalded. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the mixture is reduced by 1/3, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to steep at least 1 hour, refrigerated, and preferably overnight: the longer it steeps the more flavor will develop. Strain the mixture, return the milk to the saucepan, and bring just to the point of boiling.
• Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with cold water and add ice. In a non-reactive medium bowl, combine the yolks and the sugar and whisk to blend. Add 4 ounces of the scalded milk mixture to the yolk mixture, mix well, and transfer the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook or the eggs will scramble.
• Strain the mixture into a medium bowl, and place it in the bowl of ice water to cool. When cool, add the cream, and stir to blend. Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. Do not over harden; the ice cream should have a soft consistency. Transfer to the freezer.
• After slicing the banana, peel off the rind and place the strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the lemon juice, sugar, and water together. Brush the banana pieces with the lemon mixture. Place in a pre-heated 200-degree oven and bake for about 2 hours. As the banana pieces are heated they will darken slightly. After 2 hours, remove from the oven and let cool to allow the banana chips to become firm.

SPICED BANANA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Stir together cream, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom, white pepper, and a pinch of salt in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture, then add pod. Purée banana in a food processor, then whisk into cream mixture. Bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 30 minutes.
• Return to a boil, uncovered. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks in a large metal bowl. Add boiling-hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then pour into saucepan. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer (do not let boil). Remove from heat and force custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean metal bowl, discarding solids. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and harden in freezer, about 1 hour. Let soften in refrigerator 1 to 1 1/2 hours and then at room temperature 10 minutes.

BANANA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight. Remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Peel bananas and place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice. Process for 10 to 15 seconds. Add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. Process until smooth. Chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze for 3 to 6 hours before serving.

BROWN SUGAR ICE CREAM WITH A GINGER-CARAMEL SWIRL

Steps:

• Make the base
• 1. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the brown sugar (1/4 cup). Set aside.
• 2. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt, and the remaining brown sugar (1/4 cup) and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
• 3. Carefully scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
• 4. Cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats the back of a spatula, and holds a clear path when you run your finger across the spatula, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• 5. Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Set the container into an ice-water bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool. Remove the container from the ice-water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• While the ice cream base cools, make the swirl
• 6. Set the cream by the stove so it's at hand when you need it. Put 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a heavy nonreactive saucepan, and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the sugar is melted around the edges and starts turn amber in places (about 2 minutes), stir the mixture gently and add another 2 tablespoons sugar to the pan.
• 7. Continue to add the remaining sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring frequently and allowing most of the sugar to melt before you add more. Watch carefully as the sugar darkens, stirring gently to help it melt evenly.
• Tip: Keep in mind that the flavor of the ice cream hinges on how dark you take the caramel. We take ours to a very dark, almost reddish, stage, which produces our intense signature flavor.
• 8. When the caramel becomes a dark mahogany color, remove the pan from the heat and immediately but slowly pour the cream into the pan. (The mixture will steam and bubble up, so wear oven mitts and be very careful to avoid splatters and steam burns.) When the bubbling subsides, gently stir to completely blend the cream into the caramel. If you have lumps of hardened caramel in your pan, simply put the pan over low heat and stir until the caramel is melted.
• 9. Stir in the ginger paste and salt and let cool. (You can make the swirl up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Keep it refrigerated, but let it come to room temperature before using.)
• Freeze the ice cream
• 10. When the base is completely chilled, freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, put the container you'll use to store the ice cream into the freezer.
• 11. As you transfer the ice cream to the storage container, drizzle in the caramel after every few scoopfuls, using about 6 tablespoons of the caramel (or more if you like). When all the ice cream is in the container, use a chopstick or butter knife to gently swirl the mixture. Enjoy right away or, for a firmer ice cream, freeze for at least 4 hours.
• Tip: The swirl recipe makes more than you need (the recipe won't work in smaller quantities). You can thin the leftovers with a little cream and use as a sundae topping, or you can enjoy it right off the spoon!

BROWN SUGAR BANANA SAUCE (FOR ICE CREAM)

Steps:

• Over low heat, combine brown sugar, butter and milk until sugar is melted and not gritty.
• Add in vanilla, cinnamon, bananas. Cook for 1 min (or longer but we don't like the taste of cooked bananas.)
• Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Top individual servings of ice cream with sauce and sprinkle toasted pecans and coconut over top. Serve immediately.