Orange Banana Ice Cream

April 10, 2007
Orange Banana Ice Cream
Orange Banana Ice Cream

What do you do when life hands you a bag of organic oranges and Smart & Final has a sale on heavy cream… all in the same day? Make orange ice cream, of course! Since I inheirited my Cusinart ice cream maker (2 weeks ago) I've shyed away from any recipes that require a creme anglaise base. Call it laziness or intimidation. The cream must reach 175 degrees without boiling. You could end up with a soupy mess or worse, scrambled eggs! Such an exact number, a task that would certainly require a watchful eye, such attention to detail. Exact numbers remind me of math, and needless to say, I'm not a math person.  Hmmm… but today my desire to make orange ice cream outweighed any trepidation. Under the circumstances, I opted to just go for the the consistency test rather than the temperature. Waited for the cream mixture to coat the back of a spoon nicely and voila – Creme anglaise! Nice orange scented custard that I could have easily had as a summer soup.

Once I mixed the cream mixture with the fresh squeezed juice and zest, I cooled it in an ice bath and let the Cusinart do its magic (what a wonderful invention. Can't imagine having to buy rock salt and putting the muscle into myself). About 25 minutes later it had transformed my orange soup into a beautiful fluff the color of an Easter chick with specks of orange zest just peeking through. Suddenly, I remembered the five overly ripe bananas that were hiding on top of the fridge. I mash up two of the bananas and tossed them in just at the last moment. 
Finally the moment of truth… There really isn't anything better than soft serve ice cream, especially this tropical delight. It tasted creamier than any other ice cream I've tried and a mix between an orangecicle and an orange julius. The flavor of the bananas was just an undertone, lending itself mostly to the creamy texture. Success. The creme anglaise was worth the trouble.

Orange-Banana Ice Cream 
3 Oranges (Zest & Juice)
1 c Heavy Cream
1 c Milk (I used soy – that's all I had)
3 Extra large egg yolks
1/4 c Splenda (I'm always trying to modify recipes to make things a little healthier)
1/4 c granulated white sugar
2 Bananas, mashed
Heat the cream, milk and sugar up in a sauce pan along with half of the orange zest(should be 1 to 2 tablespoons). Take it off the heat and let the mixure steep while you whip together the egg yolks and Splenda until the mixture is fluffy and pale yellow. Once you get here, start slowly adding the cream mixture to temper the eggs. We want a smooth mixture not an orange omlette. Place the mixture in a double boiler and whisk away until the custard becomes thick enough the coat the back of a spoon. This took me about 10 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture. At this point, incorporate the orange juice and remaining zest. I got about 3/4 c of juice from my three medium-sized oranges. Set it in the ice bath and wait until it has cooled. Now throw everything into your ice cream maker and with about five minutes remaining add two mashed bananas. 

2 Comments

  • demanda

    12 Apr 2007 04:04 pm

    mmmmmm. orange and banana. please oh please send a scoop with brock in a cooler bag to work for me one day. he keeps on raving about your new ice creams and we are all jealous.

    Reply

  • julie

    12 Apr 2007 04:04 pm

    Oh Brock! The skinniest fat kid. I’ll send you some ice cream. I just hope he doesn’t try to eat it for breakfast. You guys have to come over for dinner soon too.

    Reply

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