BANANAS TOO RIPE? GELATO TIME!
At the start of this Covid Lockdown recipes for banana bread were being posted everywhere! And, if honest, we made some here (I say 'we' as in T made the banana bread, not me) but if I'd known earlier what else could be made and with far less effort we'd have had a freezer full of this banana 'gelato'.
Now this isn't a rich, velvety smooth custard base ice cream. No, it's more refreshing, not so sweet and definitely more bordering on a gelato BUT whatever it is it's certainly very moreish. And VERY easy to make, so easy that friends' kids made and loved it. Which is ironic because the reason I had a glut of over ripe bananas recently was because a friend's kids rejected the bananas because they had black spots on the skin! Now this I know is a common occurrence, some people I know - mainly of the young variety - just will not entertain the idea of eating a banana with any blemish on the skin *sighs*.
Anyway I have those banana skin purists to thank although now they know about what I made my supply has been cut off! Seems like they've decided banana ice cream is far too good not to make. Darn!
Banana Gelato
Simple storecupboard / fridge ingredients are all it takes!
5 over ripe bananas
150 - 250ml full fat milk
1 generous tablespoon peanut butter
(I used smooth but crunchy would work too)
1 tablespoon of tahini (or add a second of peanut butter)
1 - 2 teaspoons of Nutella (or cacao powder)
Peel the bananas, break into 2 - 3 cms sections and pop into the freezer for 40 mins to start to freeze. Take out and mash or blitz in a blender or liquidizer with all the other ingredients.
Pour into an old ice cream container and freeze. Take out after 45 mins and beat to break the ice crystals down. Place back into freezer. Repeat this twice more to break the ice crystals down as much as possible. This just makes it smoother.
There's no need to add any sugar, the bananas are sweet enough and the peanut butter, tahini and full fat milk add the fat to make its texture feel good but not cloying (I like ice cream but it leaves me needing a glass of water to stop the creamy cloying feeling).
Anyway, enjoy!
