Roasted Banana, Maple & Pecan Ice-Cream

#glutenfree #dairyfree

So you may be dairy-free, but do you still scream for a lick of ice-cream every now & then? No need for the trembling bottom lip as everyone else around you indulges…you’ll be the cat who got the cream with this velvety smooth, rich alternative. Roasting the bananas in maple syrup renders them lusciously sweet & once whipped with the rest of the ingredients, you’ve got a winner for adults & kids alike.

Ingredients:
650g peeled ripe bananas (approx 6)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
300 ml soy or almond milk
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 free-range egg yolks
1/2 cup of pecans (optional – kids tend to prefer it without)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. Chop the bananas in half, and then slice each half into two lengthways. Place them into a baking pan and pour the ½ cup of maple syrup and grapeseed oil over the bananas and toss to coat.
3. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, stirring a couple of times during roasting.
4. Meanwhile, hand whisk the egg yolks and the 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for about 1 minute.
5. Pour the milk and vanilla essence into a saucepan and gently heat until just starting to boil and then immediately remove from heat and add the cinnamon.
6. Whisk in the egg yolks and then return to a low heat, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Do not let it boil…scrambled eggs and ice-cream aren’t a match made in heaven!
7. Remove from the heat again (the custard will be runnier than usual, don’t panic.) Set aside while the bananas finish in the oven.
8. In a shallow pan, add salt and lightly fry the pecans for approximately 4 minutes and then set aside.
9. Pour the custard and bananas into a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour the mixture into a plastic container (or ice-cream maker) and place in the freezer for approx 2 hours.
10. Remove from freezer and whizz in blender until smooth. Mix in pecans and return to freezer until fully set
(approx 5 hours).

Nutrition Bite: Bananas – One of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains approximately 422 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.