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.

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!