Momma Told Me: Old-Fashioned Banana Split Ice Cream Recipe + The Ice Cream Man

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Old-Fashioned Banana Split Ice Cream Recipe + The Ice Cream Man

*** The following post is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Cuisinart or any brand mentioned there in. All photos are copyright Momma Told Me 2013.
old-fashioned banana split ice cream
Momma Told Me: Your dad and his machines!

For as far back as I can remember, from the first 'da-da,' my father was 'the ice cream man.'

Well, not literally a man who drives around in an ice cream truck, of a cone mascot at a Foster's Freeze; no, he has worked for a company called Taylor Freezers for over 25 years. There have been times where our family has run into old acquaintances and we've had to clarify what that meant. One such hilarious occasion had a friend of my mothers thinking my father was involved in cryogenics. No, Taylor Freezers does not deal in people freezers, but actually a variety of restaurant food-service equipment ranging from frozen beverage machines to 'Quarter Pounder' grills. It is my father's job, as a service technician, to travel a very broad service area visiting establishments of an equally wide range, solving a variety of mechanical puzzles.
Why am I telling you this? You see, for as long as I can remember, despite my comprehension of what my father did for a living, he has always been the magical ice cream man to me. As a curly headed little girl I'd peer up and over the counter as my dad was magically handed free ice cream. (We could hardly walk into a local restaurant without the management recognizing and fawning over him.) Then, there was the magical year my father expanded from his small appliance bread maker fascination into a glorious machine I still covet to this day. Almost 20 years old now, and still running as good as ever, this metallic wonder was a shining beacon of my childhood. Carefully my Pop and I would measure out ingredients, patiently counting down until the mixture had chilled enough- then I would stare, in awe, as the liquid turned into creamy, sweet, ice cream.
There simply is nothing like fresh, home-made, ice cream. Whether you're doing it by hand in a tumbler, or with a small counter top machine. The freedom to control the type of dairy, and the diverse flavors is as fascinating as taking a tour of the Ben and Jerry's facility, itself. And don't get me started on the best part- licking the quickly melting, creamy, mixture of of the agitator blade, much like Momma's mixer blades when baking! And that, my friends, is why I decided for my birthday this year, I deserved to get something a little special for myself. After stalking a specific,well reviewed, Cuisinart brand ICE-21R Frozen Yogurt Ice cream Maker on various closeout and daily deal sites, I gave in. I fished through my email folders for all of my saved survey money (Amazon gift cards) and shelled out $54 for a cherry red machine that would match my kitchen utensils.

Not only have I been thrilled with the ease of clean-up, and the quiet operation, but I can enjoy my own custom blend of ice cream in just under 20 minutes. Now, if you've never owned an ice cream maker before, be warned, there are a few unexpected aspects of working with a mid-range, small output machine like this. For starters, you will have to prepare your mix a minimum of 2 hours in advance (Pop always did this the night before we planned on making ice cream). If the mix is not chilled thoroughly the bucket will defrost much quicker and not freeze as efficiently. Using whole milk and heavy cream will always yield the best texture, cutting out the fat with soy or 2% substitutes is possible but will result in more ice crystals when freezing (meaning a harder product). Lastly, always add any mix-ins last. Mix Ins will bring down the product temperature dramatically, and tend to clump at the bottom of the barrel if the mixture is not frozen enough.

Most at home ice cream makers come with a 'base' recipe book, that is great to get started. You can also find a wealth of recipes online, and several books dedicated to home made ice cream recipes. I like to find a favorite base and work on modifying it from there. If you find a great vanilla, it really is nothing but fun from there on out- the sky is the limit!

What Daughter Says: Growing up, Pop loved tinkering with small appliances as much as Momma. However, in my eyes, nothing was quite as exciting as our very own ice cream maker!

home made banana split ice cream
banana split ice cream
Old-Fashioned Banana Split Ice Cream
****click here for printable ice cream recipe
****click here for printable strawberry puree recipe.

Ingredients:

*1/2 C Whole Milk
*2 C Heavy Cream
*1 Vanilla Bean, Halved and Seeds Scraped
*1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract
*1/4 TSP Salt
*1/3 C Packed Dark Brown Sugar
*1 TBS Water
*1 TBS Unsalted Butter
*2 Large Bananas, Cut into 1" Pieces
*1.5 TBS Dark Rum
*1/4 TSP Lemon Juice
*3/4 C Brownie Crumbles
*1/2 C Strawberry Puree

Directions:

1.) In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, bring milk, cream, vanilla bean (including pod), vanilla extract, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 MINS.
2.) While milk mixture is steeping, heat sugar with water in a skillet until it begins to sizzle. Stir in the butter and heat until melted. Add the bananas, cook 2 MINS, or until bananas are fragrant and softened. Carefully stir in the rum and cook an additional 2 MIN, being careful not to overwork the bananas. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, separate the bananas from the syrup base and reserve both in separate bowls.
3.) Remove vanilla pod from the milk mixture; discard pod. Stir the lemon juice into the bananas, then add the bananas to the milk mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, or over-night.
4.) Turn on the ice cream maker and pour the cold banana mixture into the freezer bowl and allow to mix until thickened (about 15-20 MINS).
5.) While ice cream is churning crumble your brownies. Slowly pour chilled strawberry puree mixture into churning ice cream. Next, slowly add brownie crumbles to mixture, allowing time for the brownies to integrate into the ice cream. Add walnuts if desired.

***Old-Fashioned Banana Split Ice Cream has a toffee banana taste that is slightly savory at it's core, but balances perfectly with the added sweetness of the strawberry puree and chunks of brownies. Dig in!

19 comments:

  1. ok that looks and sounds amazing. Ice cream is my total weakness and who dosent love banana splits!

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  2. Oh what great timing! We just bought an ice cream maker so we are gonna give this baby a try this weekend!

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  3. OH seriously I want a nice ice cream maker like yours! I have the old fashioned kind that requires a huge bag full of ice and a lot of rock salt. And that is awesome when I"m making up a big batch for a large gathering. But when I just want a small batch of ice cream for just me and the kids, this smaller machine is perfect, because my big one is complete overkill.

    That is a fantastic birthday gift to yourself toO! Yum. Love homemade Ice cream. Yours sounds amazing!!

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  4. Could you use this for frozen yogurt too? Not a huge ice cream fan but I would come and eat yours. The recipe you provided would surely motivate anyone to try along with your lovely photos.

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  5. This looks amazing. I'm pretty much a sucker for anything with bananas and chocolate - add some peanut butter and I'm in 7th heaven. I've never tried making my own icecream, but it sounds like such a fun summer project. - Katy

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  6. I have the same ice cream maker - same red! - and make goat's milk ice cream all the time. Well, when I have excess milk anyway. Your recipe looks divine!

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  7. I agree with you that home made ice cream is the way to go. I am embarrased to say that i did not know that Cuisinart made an Frozen Yogurt Ice cream Maker machine but do now. I've had the icecream hand cranks and the automatic. Thank so much for the recipe as I have an ice cream night when the grand kids come over and will try this recipe out on them.

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  8. That looks absolutely amazing! We've never had an ice cream maker, and I'd always wondered how tough it would be to use one? But as we're trying to shift to cleaner, greener eating over the next year, the more things I can make myself the better! Definitely pinning this for the future :)

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  9. Oh. My. Gosh. Someone please make me some ice cream!

    Beautiful pictures. The story makes me think of small children who don't always understand and so they imagine these scary versions - like "yeah, he freezes people! While they're still alive!" lol

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  10. We love making our own ice cream. The kids would definitely love this flavor though. They love ice cream with lots of stuff in it.

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  11. Ice cream is such a hit in our house! We have an ice cream maker that we STILL haven't used yet, maybe this is a hint? :)

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  12. OMG! That looks so good, but I wonder if I can get the same results with almond milk and other dairy substitutes since I am allergic.

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  13. I always enjoy reading your posts, Jenna. I am so an ice cream lover too!

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  14. Thank you so much for the recipe, definitely making this this weekend :)

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  15. as great as this sounds i am allergic to banana's but my kids would love this

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  16. Yummy! This sounds delish. I likethe idea of making the mix the night before!


    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  17. omgosh this was a "BAD" review for ME to read because of the fact I am on a diet and everything looks and sounds soooooo delicious, now I am craving something I can't even have. wahhhhhhh lol

    Yvonne Woodstock
    manifestmiracles@live.com

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  18. Homemade ice cream is the best. This looks terrific!

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  19. As noted in the post, low fat milk, and dairy substitutes can be used, but the consistency will be much more icey after storing in the freezer. For best texture, eat any dairy free/low fat alternatives immediately after churning.

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