Banana Ice Cream

 I've mentioned before I'm not a banana person. I really wish I was. Every now and again, I'll be brave and try something banana. I just can't get myself to like the flavor. Let's keep hoping that will change in the near future. Until then, I'll continue to make banana breads, cakes, and now ice cream for those who love bananas! It's actually somewhat genius to bake things in a flavor you don't like when you're trying to lose some weight but I digress.... 

 Back to the ice cream. Since there's only one person in the house who eats bananas, I have a freezer full of ripe ones. I usually make a bread, bundt cake, etc but this time I wanted to step things up a bit and make banana ice cream! That's right homemade banana ice cream! So I turned to Alton Brown for a recipe that got 5 stars and all positive reviews. It was a crowd- pleaser, just ask my coworkers! Luckily for them, Nadya found it to be too tasty that she wanted it out of the house so she didn't eat it all! I guess it's that good! If you're a banana lover, I think this is just for you! 

Banana Ice Cream from Alton Brown

6 (approximately 2 1/4 pounds) ripe bananas
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight. Remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Peel bananas and place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice. Process for 10 to 15 seconds. Add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. Process until smooth. Chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Place mixture in an airtight container and freeze for 3 to 6 hours before serving.

Banana Bundt Cake

Hello Lots to Ladlers! Sorry for the lack of posts these days. Let's blame it on my sister, Katie! She's consuming a lot of my time. I'm currently planning her baby shower with my mom! It's taking up a lot of my time but at least I got a glue gun out of the deal. Can you believe I didn't own a glue gun until this year? Shocking, right?!?

Now back to the banana Bundt, after all that's what this post is about. I always joke with Nadya that she purposefully leaves bananas on the counter to get too ripe so I'll have to make her banana bread. (NOTE: I don't like bananas so I can't help to eat them up before they're too ripe.) I guess I'm buying too many bananas for one person to eat. I often end up making banana bread but decided to make this banana Bundt this time.

I came across the recipe on a food blog that I often read called The Food Librarian; however, the recipe is from Dorie Greenspan. As I mentioned earlier, I don't eat bananas ( I know, I know that's bananas!) so I can't really tell you how good or bad this was BUT I can tell you that everyone who ate it loved it. I can also tell you that it was super easy to make. So if you're a fan a bananas, go bananas and make this Bundt!!

Classic Banana Bundt Cake
Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Ingredients: Makes 1 Bundt Cake (14 servings)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used Stonyfield vanilla yogurt)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone Bundt pan there’s no need to butter it.) Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to debubble the batter and smooth the top.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature.

If you've got the time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit on the counter overnight before serving - it's better the next day.

Optional Lemony White Icing:
Sift 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a bowl and squeeze in enough fresh lemon juice (start with 2 teaspoons and add more by drops) to make an icing thin enough to drizzle down the Bundt's curves.