Peanut Butter-Banana-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

There are many things in life that I crave on a weekly basis, and ice cream (along with Doritos, and cinnamon toast, and stinky cheese) is one of those. However, ice cream, at least for me, is a seasonal craving. It’s a “summer and I’m hot, and I want something cold” type of craving. One that usually doesn’t strike me, say, in mid-December. But I do have an everyday craving; a “dream-about-it, must-have-it, it’s-so-indulgent-I’m-embarrassed-to-even-admit-it” type of craving. What is it, you ask? Wait for it…it’s bananas dipped in peanut butter, then rolled in chocolate chips. I know, right?! Go ahead, take a minute to judge me, I don’t mind… Okay, are we ready to move on? Good. So this weekend when I was trying to figure out how to reward myself for going to the gym for 5 days straight, I started having visions of all of my favorite foods floating past me, mixing into one glorious frozen treat. And then it hit me! What if I threw everything I love into my brand-spanking new ice cream maker and created the world’s best ice cream? Brilliant!

Now I realize that this recipe isn’t for everyone, as it requires special equipment, like an ice cream maker and waffle cone iron, but I promise to research a method of making ice cream and homemade cones without investing in yet more appliances that will collect dust in your pantry for months on end. At least I’ll try to. (Although now that I think about it, maybe I’ll assign that task to my scholarly husband who has more degrees than I do socks.) Either way, since being hooked on my new culinary gadget, I guarantee that this won’t be the last ice cream recipe you’ll see from me – no, sir!

(Note: Every ice cream maker is different, so please read the user manual for your unit before proceeding, as their instructions may differ from the ones I list below.)

Peanut Butter-Banana-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2½ cups heavy cream
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4-5 bananas) – the riper the better!
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp banana extract (optional), if you like a really “banana-y” flavor, like I do
½ cup creamy peanut butter, softened
½ cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped (I like dark chocolate because I’m deep and mysterious, but you could use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips instead)
special equipment: electric ice cream maker

In a medium bowl, combine cream, bananas, milk, sugars, and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth and sugars have dissolved.

Turn on machine and pour ice cream mixture into the pre-frozen freezer bowl. Process until the mixture thickens, about 20-25 minutes.

While the ice cream mixture is thickening, soften peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Once ice cream reaches the consistency of “soft-serve,” drizzle softened peanut butter into the running machine. Once combined, add in chocolate chips and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Transfer ice cream to a high-sided pan (a bread or brownie pan works well). Cover pan with plastic wrap, then freeze for at least 1 hour or up to 2 weeks. Remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften for 15 minutes before serving.

Homemade Waffle Cones

Homemade Waffle Cones

(Recipe from the Food Network)

3 cups heavy cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups powdered sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Oil, for the iron
special equipment: Waffle cone iron; wooden cone-form and/or muffin tin
½ cup chocolate chips, melted*
chopped nuts and/or sprinkles (optional)

*The best way to melt chocolate chips is to zap them in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each session.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream with the vanilla until mousse-like (it won’t form peaks.) Sift the remaining ingredients together and stir them into the cream to make the batter. Let the batter settle for 30 minutes.

Brush waffle cone iron with a little oil or lightly mist with non-stick cooking spray, then heat per instruction manual. Pour 3-4 Tbsp of batter onto the iron and close the lid and bake until golden brown, about 60-90 seconds (or however much time your waffle iron instruction manual recommends). Open the iron and carefully remove the waffle with a pair of tongs and lay flat on a clean kitchen towel. Roll waffle around the cone-form, allowing it to overlap itself slightly. Using the palm of your hand, press down on the cone-form (seam side down) to seal the cone into place. Hold the cone this way until it starts to cool and begins to harden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Once cones have cooled, dip the tips into melted chocolate (this will seal the bottom of the cones, preventing the melting ice cream from dripping all over your hands). Either leave plain, or roll chocolate-covered tips into chopped nuts or sprinkles. Transfer cones to a piece of wax paper and place in the refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 10-20 minutes. Fill cones with 1-2 scoops of ice cream.

To make waffle bowls: Follow cooking instructions above, then press hot waffles over the bottom of a large muffin tin cup and hold there until waffle begins to cool and harden.