No-Added-Sugar Banana ‘Ice Cream’

The older, the better when making these desserts

FOOD

There are more than 300 banana varieties, and several have become commonplace in many supermarkets. In addition to the common Cavendish type, large produce sections often stock exotic red bananas, with their inviting, bronze-tinged maroon skin; petite finger bananas with “digits” about 4 inches long; and slightly larger manzano bananas, named for their subtle apple-like flavor.

Generally, we think of bananas as a grab-and-go treat, eaten raw out of hand. Or incorporated into fruit salads and shakes or layered into peanut butter sandwiches. But they are delicious in cooked dishes as well, piping hot in spicy recipes such as curries or fried rice.

It’s their treasured taste and texture in desserts that are the focus here.

Easy Banana Nut Chocolate Cake

My husband loves to eat a wedge of this delicious banana cake as a breakfast treat with his morning coffee. It is delicious as a dessert as well, accompanied with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. I love to make layer cakes filled with sliced bananas and whipped cream, but this is so much easier, and just as delicious. The original recipe called for a coarsely chopped, 3 1⁄2- to 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar. I use semisweet chocolate chips instead to speed up the process without sacrificing flavor or appearance.

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Butter for greasing pan

2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1stick unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, melted and cooled

1 cup sugar, divided use

2 large eggs

11⁄4 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3medium)

2⁄3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek style) 1teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3⁄4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1cup walnuts (3ounces), toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped, see cook’s notes

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cook’s notes: To toast nuts, place in single layer on rimmed baking sheet in 350-degree oven for about 6minutes, or until very lightly browned. Keep an eye on them because nuts burn easily; they may require less time or more time.

PROCEDURE

1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in middle. Generously butter a 9-inch square cake pan.

2: Stir together flour, baking soda and salt.

3: In separate large bowl of electric mixer, beat together softened butter (1 stick) and 3⁄4 cup sugar at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until blended. Add bananas, yogurt and vanilla; beat until blended (mixture will look curdled).

4: With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.

5: In medium-small bowl, toss together chocolate, nuts, cinnamon, melted 2tablespoons butter and remaining 1⁄4 cup sugar. Spread half of banana batter in cake pan and sprinkle with half of chocolate mixture. Spread remaining batter evenly over filling (I drop it in scoopfuls in single layer and then smooth it out with a spatula) and sprinkle remaining chocolate mixture on top.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a cooling rack 30 minutes. It is easier to cut if you turn it out of the pan — the choice is yours. If you want to turn it out, invert on cooling rack — it may take a gentle tap to make it release. Then, immediately invert onto second cooling rack to turn it right side up to cool thoroughly. Cake can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie

I wrote about this scrumptious banana pie early last year but am doing a repeat here because I adore it and think that I shouldn’t write about the banana dessert topic without including it. It requires some time to prepare because there are a lot of chilling times required here and there. The filling layers are scrumptious. Half of the custard filling is combined with chocolate; the other half is spiked with rum. Layer the chocolate custard into a frozen, made-fromshortbread-cookies pie shell, and then slice the bananas on top, letting the slices fall into the pie as evenly as possible. After chilling, top with vanilla-rum custard and whipped cream. If you’re in the mood, garnish with some shards of dark chocolate made by running a vegetable peeler on a block of dark chocolate. Mmmmm.

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

2boxes (5.3ounces each) allbutter shortbread, such as Walkers Shortbread, broken

1⁄4 teaspoon salt, divided use 5tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons melted, 2 tablespoons cold, divided use

3ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces, see cook’s notes

2 cups whole milk

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1⁄4 cup cornstarch

4 large egg yolks

Optional: 1tablespoon rum 1cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided use 1teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large ripe bananas, peeled

1 1⁄2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Cook’s notes: I use Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Belgian Chocolate

PROCEDURE

1: Place shortbread and salt in a food processor. Process in long pulses until finely ground and beginning to stick to the sides. Add melted butter and pulse just until incorporated. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan; press evenly onto bottom and sides of pan. Place in freezer.

2. Prepare custard: Place 2 ounces chocolate in a small bowl; set aside. In heavy saucepan, whisk milk, sugar, cornstarch and

Made using frozen, very ripe bananas, this reduced-sugar “ice cream” dessert takes advantage of the fruit’s high pectin content. The pectin helps make the dessert creamy when frozen. The natural sweetness of the ripe fruit means no sugar needs to be added, just 1⁄2 cup of heavy cream to add flavor and promote a silky texture. Plus some vanilla, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon. Voila!

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

6very ripe bananas

1⁄2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

PROCEDURE

1: Peel bananas and place in large, zipper-style bag. Press out excess air and seal. Freeze bananas until solid, at least 8hours.

2: Let bananas sit at room temperature to soften slightly, about 15minutes. Slice into 1⁄2-inch thick rounds and place in food processor. Add cream, vanilla, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon; process until smooth, about 5minutes. As they process there will probably be logjams of slices that form, sometimes making raggedy balls above the blade. Stop the processor and using a silicone spatula, press the wayward slices down by the blade and start processor again.

3: Transfer mixture into airtight container. Seal and freeze until firm, at least 2hours or up to 5 days.

Source: Adapted from americastestkitchen.com

Special to MediaNews Group

PHOTO BY CATHY THOMAS Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie has custard spiked with chocolate and perhaps rum atop a shortbread crust. 6:

remaining salt. Whisk in yolks; place on medium-high heat, whisking constantly, just until mixture boils and is very thick, about 4-5minutes. Remove from heat. Measure out 1⁄2 cup of the hot custard and add to the bowl of chocolate; let sit for a minute and stir to melt chocolate. Meanwhile, whisk 2tablespoons cold butter into the custard in the saucepan; stir in rum (if using) and transfer custard to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until chilled, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. 3: Meanwhile, stir the chocolate custard, then stir in 1tablespoon cream and vanilla. Remove pie shell from freezer and spread the chocolate mixture across the bottom. Refrigerate to firm up. 4: Working over the pie shell, cut the bananas into 1⁄4-inch thick slices, letting them fall to cover the bottom. Spoon the chilled custard over bananas and smooth the top. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set. 5: Whip remaining cream with powdered sugar until medium to stiff peaks form, about 1minute. Spread on top of the custard and refrigerate at least 20minutes or until serving time. Pie can be prepared to this point 6 hours before serving stored in the refrigerator. 6: If you like, just before serving, using a vegetable peeler, shave remaining 1 ounce chocolate and sprinkle on top of pie.

PHOTO BY CATHY THOMAS No-Added-Sugar Banana “Ice Cream” looks and tastes like the real deal because of the fruit’s pectin and natural sweetness, helped by 1⁄2 cup of heavy cream.