Banana Ice Cream

Dessert, Vegan ★★★★★

Being sheltered during the Covid-19 epidemic has been a time of transformation and growth for me despite the uncertain times. One area of my life that has benefited from the growth is my love of cooking. I'm constantly amazed by how simple many of the foods I love to eat are to make at home. Top of that list is ice cream.

This recipe requires an ice cream maker. I LOVE ice cream and, after my first few batches, seeing how easy it is to make quickly justified the investment.

Before beginning the ice cream mix, you will need to prepare Simple Syrup. You'll want to allow some time for the syrup to cool before combining later with the banana ice cream mix.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup coconut sugar 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS In a medium saucepan combine coconut sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.

Allow to cool. Waiting till the syrup is room temperature will help create a nice consistency when freezing later in the recipe.

Now that the Simple Syrup is cool you're ready to make the banana cream mix.

INGREDIENTS 4 ripe bananas 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup simple syrup 1 cup coconut cream, canned and chilled

DIRECTIONS Working fast to stop the bananas from darkening, peel and place them in a fruit processor with lemon juice. Purée until smooth.

Stir and simple syrup, then the coconut cream. Mix until blended and smooth.

Pour the mixture into the bowl of the ice cream maker and freeze for about 30 - 45 minutes.

You're looking for a consistency that resembles a watery fro-yo. Don't worry, the final step will solidify your creation into perfection.

Move your banana mix from the maker into a sealable container. Lay a piece of parchment

paper or cling wrap on top of the mix to prevent a skin from forming. Seal container. It's okay if the paper or wrap falls outside of the container.

Chill for at least 6 hours in the coldest part (back) of the freezer. I like giving it a full 12 hours to set, but I can wait to eat it (sometimes). Try to open your freezer as infrequently as possible while the ice cream is chilling.

Remove, and enjoy how amazingly delicious at home ice cream can be!