Temperatures are topping 90 this week, I took my last medical school exam yesterday, and my skin tone is no longer transparent — it’s summer! Okay maybe not in the true sense of the word, it’s not June 21st yet, we still have dental class for a few more weeks, and then I have to study for and take the boards, but I’ve busted out my sun dresses and will soak up whatever ounce of “summer” I can get! And yes, this includes the 32oz of strawberry banana ice cream I made to celebrate the change of season. It was great to dust off my ice cream machine again and this flavor combination was the PERFECT way to start the summer.
I know I broke all kinds of photography rules by shooting this ice cream in direct, bright sunlight (plus I had to work really fast before it melted), but I was loving the warm sun and thought our fuchsia azaleas looked great in the background. Ice cream isn’t always the most photogenic subject, but with the pink flecks of strawberry puree peeking through the banana ice cream base, I think this ice cream is exceptionally pretty. Oh, and exceptionally delicious. Like really, really amazing. The banana ice cream is dreamy and the tart strawberry swirl is a perfect complement. There’s a reason strawberry-banana is such a popular flavor combo! This ice cream is also conducive to a very easy “banana split” — just add some sprinkles, nuts, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a cherry! Sadly, I didn’t have any whipped cream or cherries on hand, but the idea was still there…
Strawberry Banana Ice Cream
Adapted from Love and Olive Oil who adapted it from David Lebovitz
For the banana ice cream:
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup ripe banana (about 1 medium-sized)
1/2 cup + 1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
For the strawberry swirl:
2 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
– Combine the milk, sugar, and 1/2 cup cream in a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat. Mixture should steam, but not boil.
– Puree banana in a blender of food processor and whisk it into the milk mixture along with the vanilla. Cover, remove from heat, and let the flavors meld for about 30 minutes.
– Pour the remaining cup of cream into a medium sized bowl, set on ice over a large bowl with a mesh strainer on top of the bowls. Set aside.
– In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the warm mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly so that the eggs are tempered by the milk but not cooked. Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan and whisk into the rest of the milk mixture.
– Stir over medium heat, scraping the bottom as you stir with a heat-proof spatula. Continue until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula (this takes about 10 minutes). Pour the mixture through the strainer and stir into the cream until cool.
– Cover and chill the mixture thoroughly, preferably overnight in the fridge.
– The next day, freeze the banana mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions (usually 25-30 minutes).
– While the ice cream is churning, clean, hull, and puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Mix in the sugar and lemon juice. When the ice cream is done, pour the strawberry puree in and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it in.
Recipe yields about 2 pints
*drool*
I want!
Haley @ The Girly Girl Cooks