Banana Custard Ice Cream

French Banana cake is my favorite so when trying to decide on what homemade ice cream to make for my MIL's 90th birthday (she could eat ice cream 3 meals a day!)- this one had to be it.  I must say I had difficulty with the bananas.  I always have ripened bananas in the house....or usually I can buy them at the store.  No such luck.  I got perfectly yellow bananas and took a survey (okay, relatives that were crashing at my house for the party) and everyone said to put them in a bag with an unpeeled apple...the gases....yada, yada, yada.  Two days nothing happened and it was time to get to work.  Another suggested placing them in a warm oven.  Tried that until the skins turned black.  Those bananas were as firm inside as the first day.  Now if I didn't want ripe bananas, they would have freckled and mushed in an hour.  Bananas tend to do that.  Whatever.  I mashed them up .... and guess what.  They tasted perfect.  So no worries.  This ice cream takes a little longer than other recipes because you have to cook the custard (and it takes me a little longer because I had to make 3 (!!!!!!)  batches since I spilled TWO!  I put the bowl in my empty ice maker in my freezer to chill.  When I went to retrieve it, it was spilled all over.  I make another batch- same thing.  Apparently when I closed the freezer door, the ice maker apparatus tipped the bowl over.)  Perseverance might be necessary when you are a slow learner like me.  My hubby liked this mixed as a milk shake as well.  It is full of creamy wonderfulness.  Perfection!

Banana Custard Ice Cream

 

 

• 4 cups half-and-half cream
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• Dash salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 to 5 medium)

Directions

• In a large heavy saucepan, heat half-and-half to 175°; stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon.
• Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the whipping cream, milk and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Stir in bananas. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. When ice cream is frozen, transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: 3 quarts.