Banana Puddin' Ice Cream

There's plenty to hate about the South: the proud ignorance, the humidity, Mark Sanford, palmetto bugs, people who insist on flying the Confederate flag, the idea that it's sinful to sell alcohol on Sundays.  I could go on and on.

But there's lots to love, too: the accents (to an extent), gardenias, mild winters, Bill Clinton, the fact that we wear flip-flops all year long, the slow pace of life, the hospitality.

I'd say that the greatest contribution from the South, though, is banana puddin'. 

Why is it so good? 

Banana puddin' is one of those things that I forbid myself from making because I know that if I do, then I will sit in front of the TV, watch Steel Magnolias, and inhale the entire batch.

You can imagine my simultaneous delight and fear, then, when I came across this recipe for Banana Pudding Ice Cream.  As soon as I read the recipe, I was completely fixated.  I knew, though, that I'd have to share it with others, lest I devour the entire half gallon in one sitting.  So last night, knowing that today would be my last day at school before summer, I set to the task of making this recipe so that I could share it with my coworkers.

And what a task it was!  There's was lots of multitasking and chemistry-lab type measuring and timing.  Had Matt not been there reading me the directions and telling me what to do when, it would have been a complete disaster.  Fortunately, he's Mr. Anal when it comes to directions and rules, and he kept me on task, making sure that I followed each instruction to a tee.

I'm so happy that he did, because the finished product was one of the best desserts that I've ever made.  Ever.  In my entire life.  I just kept tasting it, yelling, "I MADE THIS!"  Mitch was also a fan.  Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of it (too busy yelling and patting myself on the back), but here's the one from the page where I found it:

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It might not look like much, but believe me on this one.  It's out of control delicious.  It's like how people describe desserts as being sinful.  Now, I don't think that this ice cream is itself sinful, but I know that I would commit any number of sins to get my hands on a bowl of it (i.e., beating a hobo with a hammer**).  Maybe that's what people mean?

Anyway, here's the recipe.  If you find yourself with some extra time, and if you share my affection for banana puddin', you should try it out.

Banana Puddin' Ice Cream
Makes about 2 quarts
Adapted from Mac & Cheese, who got it from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt and Ted Lee

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, sliced in half crosswise and lengthwise
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 large egg yolks
⅓ cup sugar
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
14 2-inch vanilla wafers, coarsely chopped

Instructions

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until frothy. Add brown sugar and sauté the sugar until it bubbles, abut 1 ½ minutes. Add bananas, stir and turn in sugar for about 1 ½ minutes until softened.
• Pour vanilla over bananas in skillet, and let cook for a couple of minutes. Place contents of the skillet in a blender or processor.
• Beat the egg yolks with a whisk, then add the sugar and beat until the mixture is a light yellow color, about 1 ½ minutes.
• Warm the milk over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, until a thermometer reads 150° (6-8 minutes). Pour ½ cup of the hot milk in the blender with the banana mixture, and puree for 1 minute.
• Add the remaining hot milk slowly to the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the thermometer reads 170° (8-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon). Turn off the heat.
• Add the banana mixture to the custard and whisk for 1 ½ minutes. Let the custard cool to room temperature, then whisk in the cream.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours or until the custard is cold. (I skipped this part with no resulting problems.)
• Pour mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. A few minutes before the ice cream is done, add the cookie bits and churn for a few more minutes.
• Eat right away for instant, soft ice cream gratification. Freeze ice cream in the freezer to harden.

Happy Friday to you!

**I wouldn't really beat a hobo with a hammer.  Forgive the hyperbole.  Also, I learned today that hobos were real people who ate beans from cans.  It's neat to talk to people who are older and have more life experience.  They'll tell you all about hobos.