Thursday, July 7, 2011

One Ingredient, No Ice Cream Maker, Banana "Ice Cream"?

This being national ice cream month, and all, I've been on the lookout for fun, and interesting ice cream recipes, and related ideas. So, when I came across a banana "ice cream" recipe, from the Kitchen at Apartment Therapy, that only called for one ingredient... ...I'll admit, I was intrigued. I was also a little more than skeptical. I've eaten frozen bananas before (usually dipped in chocolate), and found them to be hard, and if anything - tasteless. Could simply chopping up a frozen banana in a blender, turn it into something creamy, and delicious? I really didn't think so, but I was willing to check it out. So, I peeled, and sliced a few bananas... ...covered, and froze them for a few hours... ...then popped them into the blender, with a minuscule amount of milk. The original Apartment Therapy directions did not call for milk, but my blender just sat there, threatening to overheat, until I added a couple of teaspoons of liquid. Even with the milk, it was slow going trying to cream the solid banana chunks. The children were making worried noises about the smell of burnt rubber, coming from the blender, before I finally started seeing progress. But, eventually, and before the blender burst into actual flame, I did end up with something resembling a soft serve ice cream. I wasn't sure I liked it. It was kind of like ice cream, but too full of air. I tried adding nuts... ...but, still wasn't overly pleased with the results. Finally, I put what was left into the freezer, in an air tight container, to harden for an hour, or so. What came out, was textured exactly like ice cream - very smooth, and creamy. We still had company visiting, so I used them as guinea pigs, and served it to them for desert. They agreed, that it did have a texture similar to ice cream, and that it was surprising. But, they did not like the taste, even with chocolate syrup on top. In fact, the Man of the House kept saying it was okay, except for the spice. I couldn't convince him, that I hadn't added any spices. He was sure there was some kind of spice in it - some kind of strong, revolting spice, that totally ruined the whole thing. The younger children liked it though - maybe it reminded them of banana baby food, I don't know. But, despite the success of the recipe, in that it was creamy, and refreshing, the banana taste seemed to be over the top for my adult taste testers. I tried a second batch, mixed with a few frozen peach slices. The texture was still creamy, and the peaches toned down the banana, a little. I guess it really comes down to a matter of taste. If you're looking for a non-dairy, ice cream alternative, and you like banana baby food, this might be for you. It's great to be a homeschooler.

11 comments:

Kendra said...

We often put a dash of milk or cream in so the blender doesn't burn ;) We also serve it with a dash of maple syrup or choco chips on top. Soo nummy. Pitty bananas are $14 a kilo.

Lesley said...

We make this all the time! Especially in the summer when the kids are craving fattening, sugary ice cream.

Moss said...

We love banana "ice cream". We always add just a little milk to get it going ;) and cocoa powder to taste. It makes a huge difference in the flavor and you don't have (or miss) the sugar in chocolate syrup.

Elise said...

I was also thinking how expensive bananas are here. Looks like a fellow Aussie commented before me.

An Almost Unschooling Mom said...

Kendra and Elise - Wow! And, I was whining about 34 cents a pound.

Lesley - I was thinking it would be good for the kids, to keep them from developing a real taste for ice cream. Too late for me, though :)

Carla - Hmmm...cocoa powder...I'm going to have to try that.

Little Wonders' Days said...

It certainly looks like it should be good. Too bad it wasn't what you hoped. Funny about your husband though. When we made frozen bananas we found that they were best if frozen for about an hour and then dipped in chocolate and eaten right away. That way they were a bit soft and very flavorful.

MaryAnne said...

We've made "ice cream" like this and added cocoa, and I think it's pretty good!

Christy Killoran said...

We have done this and the kids were happy with it. We always freeze bananas before they go bad and use them in smoothies because they add great texture.

Deanna said...

tried it awhile back and it got a thumbs down here.
It stressed out my restaurant grade blender. Too much effort for the final product. Popsicles etc are easier and better payoff around here.

Phyllis said...

We have tried it, too, since I have two kids who can't have diary. No one cared for it too much here either.

Kimira said...

I did this once with my kids and they didnt like it too much. But afterwards I did watermelon poscicles and that was a hit