Naner puddin' ice cream!!!

After being out on the road in California and constantly rolling my eyes at the natives of L.A. as one by one they looked at me in wonderment for not speaking with a Southern accent (this was after I told them I was from the Midwest, which was before I had to tell them where Missouri was located in the United States), I think I’ve unintentionally developed an attachment to the South. Okay, it may not be so sudden of a fondness… I’m a complete and total sucker for Southern (especially when they’re in cheesy love stories ie: Ryan Goessling in The Notebook) accents, I could eat my weight in “soul food”, and I may or may not hope to magically turn into Paula Deen one day. So what does all of this talk about the South have to do with anything? Well, my previous post was a boozy concoction based off of the fabulously Southern Arnold Palmer, and now I share with you, Southern Banana Pudding with Nilla Waffers Ice Cream (as if there is any other way to eat banana pudding).
Let me just warn you that I got an ice cream machine yesterday (it makes two flavors at once, try not to turn too green with envy). Apart from the fact that I will probably become morbidly obese and suck my bank account dry (hey cream is expensive!) be ready for a lot of ice cream recipes. We make our own ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets at the University Club I work at, and I’ve always been super into doing so. So now that I have an ice cream machine at my disposal… my jeans will never fit the same. Let me also add that I’d say ¾ of the guys at the tattoo shop (who are my guinea pigs) are lactose intolerant, but still foolishly indulge in ice cream and in doing so get violently ill. So, sorry in advance dudes.

This classic dessert has been turned into a frozen favorite. It’s incredible how dead on this recipe is and I couldn’t be happier with my first batch of homemade ice cream. Do yourself a favor and make this!!I saw this recipe on Pink Parsley’s super cute blog, and just couldn’t pass it up. Check out her recipes and fall in love. She’s great!

Banana Pudding Ice Cream by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
makes about 1 quart
* 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 ripe bananas, sliced in half crosswise and lengthwise
* 2 Tablespoons dark rum
* 2 large egg yolks
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 cups whole milk
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 8 2-inch vanilla wafers, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish (plus a lot more for eating and even more for the ice cream)
-In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until frothy. Add the brown sugar and spread it with a wooden spoon. Add the bananas, and turn to coat with the sugar mixture several times. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes, or until they are well coated and softened.
-Pour the rum over the bananas. Let it hiss and pop, then bubble for a minute to burn off the alcohol. Transfer the contents of the skillet to blender or food processor and set aside.
-Lightly beat the egg yolks with a whisk in a medium bowl, then add the sugar and beat until the mixture is a milky lemon-yellow color, about 1 1/2 minutes.(you like the purple nails??)

-In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 150 degrees on a candy thermometer, 6-8 minutes. You may see steam rising, but don't allow it to boil.

Pour 1/2 cup of the milk into the banana mixture, and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Reserve and let cool.
-Add the remaining 1 cup of milk in a thin stream into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the custard back into the saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the custard reaches 170 degrees and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat (this will probably take 6-8 minutes).
Add the banana puree to the custard and gently whisk to incorporate it completely.
-Allow the custard to cool to room temperature, and whisk in the cream. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 4 hours, or overnight.

-Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Scatter some of the wafer crumbs in the bottom of your ice cream storage container. Scoop ice cream into container and randomly scatter more crumbs alternating ice cream and crumbs. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Garnish with a whole vanilla wafer before serving. Bake and enjoy- Sara Tea