GELATO ALLA BANANA STRACCIATELLA { BANANA ICE CREAM WITH DARK CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS }

Inspired by Mr. Banana-Grabber, Baby Banana-Grabber, and any other Banana-Grabber family characters that might emanate therefrom, this ice cream tastes more like a creamy banana bread than just plain banana, meaning even people who don’t like bananas actually love this flavor. Paired with a snappy robe of dark chocolate, these squares are playful and sophisticated at the same time.

The good news is bananas are actually a non-seasonal fruit, so you can enjoy this particular dessert year round without breaking Ol’ Mamie Nature’s rules. Personally, I find these velvety ice cream squares taste best in the throes of Summer’s heat, but they really are gorgeous at any time of year.

Before 1965, the banana we all know and love, the ubiquitous “Cavendish,” was almost completely unknown. In fact the Cavendish played the proverbial “second banana” to the very French-sounding Gros Michel, a creamier and sweeter species of banana which made up the overwhelming majority of banana exports at the time.

Unfortunately, in 1965 the full-flavored, easy-traveling Gros Michel became commercially extinct after succumbing to a wide-spread fungal blight, the Panama Disease, also referred to as TR1 (or “Tropical Race One”).

According to plant pathologists, our current favorite is also under threat of extinction, this time from a new and improved plant fungus, the TR4. Scientists are in a gene-editing race to protect the Cavendish against the predicted destruction, but have understandably gotten a lot of pushback from Anti-GMO groups.

Luckily the Gros Michel banana wasn’t entirely wiped out and still grows in areas where the Panama Disease does not exist. So there is still a chance to try it if you know where to look for it. In fact, there is a wide range of banana cultivars (types) and species to be found around the world, each with their own unique flavor and texture.

I would love to get my hands on a silvery blue hand of Blue Java bananas, literally nicknamed “the ice cream banana” due to their custardy consistency and light vanilla flavor… sounds right up my alley.

For now, let’s let the most popular Cavendish* shine in these delicious dark squares… perfect for a summer evening on the porch.

Enjoy!!

*If you happen to make banana ice cream with a different cultivar or species, I would love to hear about it. Let me know how it turned out and what it tasted like. Your recipe might just be my new favorite.

Fun Facts:

{ Botanically speaking, bananas are berries, but strawberries and raspberries are not berries at all! }

{ Bananas and humans actually share half of the same DNA, meaning we are technically 50% identical to bananas… }

Ingredients:

(Makes around a Quart)

For the Roasted Bananas:

4 Medium Bananas (somewhat speckled is best, but not brown)

2 Tablespoons Butter Softened (preferably salted) (28 grams)

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (14 grams)

Pinch of Kosher Salt

For the Ice Cream Base:

2 Cups Heavy Cream (475 mL)

1/2 Cup Whole Milk (120 mL)

1/2 Cup Sugar ( 100 grams)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (2 pinches)

6 Large Egg Yolks

Bowl of ice water

For the Chocolate Flakes:

3.5 Ounces of Chocolate (100 grams)

Tools:

For the Ice Cream:

Oven & Stove

Baking Sheet

Parchment (baking) Paper*

Medium Mixing Bowl

Knife

Medium Sauce Pot

Whisk

Spatula

Sieve

Medium Bowl (non-reactive)

Larger Bowl

For the Chocolate Flakes:

Double Boiler (or Heavy Bottom Pot with a Heat-proof Bowl Large Enough to Sit Over It)

Spoon (for drizzling)

*Ideal, not essential

Instructions:

To make the roasted bananas:

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a shallow baking sheet with parchment (baking) paper.

2. Peel the bananas and cut them into 1/4 inch (about 1/2 cm) slices. In a medium bowl, toss the banana slices, brown sugar, softened butter, and salt together until uniformly coated. Spread the coated banana slices in an even layer on your lined baking sheet and bake until caramelized (about 10 - 15 minutes). Once finished, transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and allow to cool entirely while you cook the rest of the ice cream base.

To make the ice cream base:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. (This will become an ice bath for cooling the custard later on.)

2. Take a hefty pinch of the sugar and throw it into the bowl of egg yolks (for later). Add the rest of the sugar, heavy cream, milk, and salt to a medium heavy-bottom pot and set over medium-low heat, whisking often. Once the sugar has dissolved and just before the mixture begins to steam, hand whisk the egg yolks (and the dash of sugar) so that they become lighter in color. (20 - 30 seconds). Then add a  tablespoon of the steaming dairy mixture while still whisking. Repeat until you have added 4 - 5 tablespoons of the dairy mixture to the yolks. 

3. Add the yolk mixture back into the rest of the dairy mixture, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure to mix the bottom as well. The custard will be done cooking once the mixture is cooked “to the nape,” meaning thick enough to glaze the back of the spatula or spoon. (Dip the spoon into the custard, then run your finger across the back creating two halves. If the custard remains separated even when tilted at different angles and held for a second, it is done cooking.)

4. Strain the custard into a clean medium bowl and float it in the ice bath. Stir the custard until cool. (5-ish minutes)

5. Remove the bowl from the water and add the (cooled) roasted banana slices to the custard. Gently blend the mixture a few times with an immersion blender until smooth. Then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least four hours. (Letting it sit even longer, perhaps overnight, is even better.)

 To finish the ice cream:

1. When you are ready to churn, follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Pour your chilled custard into your machine and let it churn until it has the texture you desire.

2. Transfer the custard into a pre-chilled, air-tight container and place in the freezer to stabilize for 10 - 15 mins. Do not let it freeze solid yet.

3. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted, remove entirely from the heat and let cool until just room temperature. (It should still be fluid, but not hot.)

4. Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Using a spoon drizzle thin, wispy lines of chocolate over the top of the ice cream. Cover and place in the freezer to chill for a minute or two. Once the stripes of chocolate have hardened, pull the ice cream from the freezer and, using your fingers or a fork, press the hard chocolate deep down into the ice cream so that it breaks into thin flakes as you push it.

5. Repeat step 4. as many times as you like to get the ratio of chocolate flakes to ice cream that you desire.

6. Store in the freezer until a half hour before you plan on serving!

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This Gelato Alla Banana Stracciatella will Last about One Week.

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Notes :

+ Bananas with speckles of brown are fantastic for this recipe! Unlike Banana Bread which makes good use of super brown bananas, this ice cream feels much brighter if you use them before they get overly ripe.

+ When roasting the banana slices, keep a close eye to make sure they do not over-caramelize. It can happen quickly!

+ Choose any style of chocolate that you prefer! I find the dark chocolate balances the sweet creaminess of the banana ice cream perfectly, but if you prefer milk chocolate go right ahead! If you do though, consider removing some of the sugar that goes into the ice cream so your squares won’t be cloyingly sweet.

Gelato alla Banana Stracciatella

Laura | May 31st, 2019

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Chilling time: 4 - 6 hours

Total time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Servings: Makes about a quart of ice cream

Level of Skill: Easy

Ingredients:

For the Roasted Bananas:

• 4 Medium Bananas (somewhat speckled is best, but not brown)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter Softened (preferably salted) (28 grams)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar (14 grams)
• Pinch of Kosher Salt

For the Ice Cream Base:

• 2 Cups Heavy Cream (475 mL)
• 1/2 Cup Whole Milk (120 mL)
• 1/2 Cup Sugar ( 100 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (2 pinches)
• 6 Large Egg Yolks
• Bowl of ice water

For the Chocolate Stripes

• 3.5 Ounces of Chocolate (100 grams)

Instructions:

To make the roasted bananas:

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a shallow baking sheet with parchment (baking) paper.

2. Peel the bananas and cut them into 1/4 inch (about 1/2 cm) slices. In a medium bowl, toss the banana slices, brown sugar, softened butter, and salt together until uniformly coated. Spread the coated banana slices in an even layer on your lined baking sheet and bake until caramelized (about 10 - 15 minutes). Once finished, transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and allow to cool entirely while you cook the rest of the ice cream base.

To make the ice cream base:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. (This will become an ice bath for cooling the custard later on.)

2. Take a hefty pinch of the sugar and throw it into the bowl of egg yolks (for later). Add the rest of the sugar, heavy cream, milk, and salt to a medium heavy-bottom pot and set over medium-low heat, whisking often. Once the sugar has dissolved and just before the mixture begins to steam, hand whisk the egg yolks (and the dash of sugar) so that they become lighter in color. (20 - 30 seconds). Then add a tablespoon of the steaming dairy mixture while still whisking. Repeat until you have added 4 - 5 tablespoons of the dairy mixture to the yolks.

3. Add the yolk mixture back into the rest of the dairy mixture, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure to mix the bottom as well. The custard will be done cooking once the mixture is cooked “to the nape,” meaning thick enough to glaze the back of the spatula or spoon. (Dip the spoon into the custard, then run your finger across the back creating two halves. If the custard remains separated even when tilted at different angles and held for a second, it is done cooking.)

4. Strain the custard into a clean medium bowl and float it in the ice bath. Stir the custard until cool. (5-ish minutes)

5. Remove the bowl from the water and add the (cooled) roasted banana slices to the custard. Gently blend the mixture a few times with an immersion blender until smooth. Then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least four hours. (Letting it sit even longer, perhaps overnight, is even better.)

To finish the ice cream:

1. When you are ready to churn, follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Pour your chilled custard into your machine and let it churn until it has the texture you desire.

2. Transfer the custard into a pre-chilled, air-tight container and place in the freezer to stabilize for 10 - 15 mins. Do not let it freeze solid yet.

3. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted, remove entirely from the heat and let cool until just room temperature. (It should still be fluid, but not hot.)

4. Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Using a spoon drizzle thin, wispy lines of chocolate over the top of the ice cream. Cover and place in the freezer to chill for a minute or two. Once the stripes of chocolate have hardened, pull the ice cream from the freezer and, using your fingers or a fork, press the hard chocolate deep down into the ice cream so that it breaks into thin flakes as you push it.

5. Repeat step 4. as many times as you like to get the ratio of chocolate flakes to ice cream that you desire.

6. Store in the freezer until a half hour before you plan on serving!the Key Lime Ice Cream Base:_

Nutrition:

(per 1/2 cup serving)

Servings: Eight 1/2 cup sized scoops

Fat: 32 grams

Calories: 451

Nutrition estimated by Happyforks.com