Banana Split

A long time ago when there were fewer responsibilities, when there was no homework to worry about and before there were early bedtimes to adhere to, going out every evening after dinner was the norm. My husband and I would go out with friends, to the mall or sometimes we stopped for some ice cream. At the ice cream shop we would order a banana split and share it. Banana split always brings a smile to my face as all those memories come flooding back.

Recently my daughter told me she had never tasted a banana split. While I am pretty sure she has I realized I had not made it for such a long time that she did not remember it. So I made some. I used the traditional chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavored ice cream, chocolate sauce and some fresh strawberries. My daughter loved it.

This dessert is really filling so you might want to use small scoops to control portion size. Or split the dish between two people.

You will need (for 1 banana split)
1 just ripe banana
1 scoop chocolate ice cream
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
1 scoop strawberry ice cream
2 tbsp. whipped cream (adjust to taste)
2 tbsp. chocolate sauce
3 maraschino cherries

You may choose to buy whipping cream and make your own whipped cream. You can also make chocolate sauce at home or get store bought.

To assemble prepare the plate. You can use a special elongated dish or use a flat plate like I did. First peel and cut the banana along its length. Place it on the plate such that there is just enough room in between the two pieces to place the scoops of ice cream. Place the scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center and the chocolate and strawberry ice cream on either side. Add the chocolate sauce and the whipped cream. You can add nuts or fresh fruit. Place the cherries on top of each scoop of ice cream. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week three, day two of BM #53 for the theme Ice cream all the way. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#53.

Falooda

Falooda is one of those desserts that I loved the first time I tried it. However, for years I lived in a relatively small town where not only could you not find a creamery or ice cream shop that sold falooda but you could not even find a store that sold the ingredients. It was such a pleasant surprise to find grocery stores with all the ingredients when we moved to Texas. And then we found a creamery that sold some great tasting falooda.

For some reason my daughter does not like this dessert. My husband and I do not go out just for dessert and so we have not been to the creamery in a long time. Last week I ended up with a lot of ice cream in my freezer and this is one way I decided to use it. 

You will need
1 tsp rose syrup
1 tsp. basil or sabja seeds
2 tbsp falooda noodles
1 cup milk
1 tbsp condensed milk
2 small scoops vanilla ice cream
crushed nuts to garnish

Soak the basil seeds in a 1/2 cup of water for about 15-20 minutes. Soak the falooda noodles in water until soft. In a tall glass add the rose syrup. Drain the basil seeds and add them to the glass. Drain the noodles and add them over the top. Add the milk and condensed milk. Scoop in the ice cream. Gently stir the mixture but do not allow the layers to mix completely. Garnish with nuts and serve.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Sherbet

I have made a lot of ice cream and sherbets this summer. This strawberry sherbet for one of the best I made. It is easy to make and very satisfying. The lemon adds an unexpected tang to the taste.

During the summer months the demand for ice cream is high. Grocery stores entice us with sales. They fill the end cap freezer displays with ice cream and put up big sale signs to rope us in. I found these easy to make sherbet with fresh fruit a much better option. Knowing what goes into making it makes the dessert a lot sweeter.

Recipe adapted from here

You will need
2 cups diced sweet ripe strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups non-fat or low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup cream or whole milk

Note: Reduce the quantity of lemon juice if your strawberries are tart.

In a bowl combine the strawberries with the sugar and keep aside for about 15 minutes. The sugar should be moistened or dissolved.

Puree in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients except cream to the strawberries in the blender jar and blend together. Add the cream and whisk only until combined. Pour into an airtight metal container and freeze for 3-4 hours.

Transfer to the blender and whip it until smooth. Transfer back to the container and freeze for another 4-5 hours. If frozen solid, transfer to the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before scooping out to serve.

Eis und Heiss (Ice cream With Strawberry And Raspberry Sauce)

Eis und Heiss literally translates to 'cold and hot'. This hot and cold dessert is super simple to make and very delicious. When I found the recipe here I simply had to make it. It was perfect for a hot summer day. Ice cream with fresh berry sauce poured over the top - hot and cold

I found some really fresh raspberries and strawberries in Whole Foods. There is no real recipe here. Heat the fruit in a pan until the juices begin to flow.

Let the fruit cook in their own juice on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. If the fruit is very juicy and the sauce looks runny add a little cornflour to the juice to thicken it. Turn off heat. Let it cool a little. While it is warm pour over ice cream and enjoy!

This is my entry for week 36 of the 2014 52 week challenge for the theme hot and cold.

Mango Sherbet

With the lunar month of Chitra the green mangoes arrive. As soon as they do we make ambe dal and pickle. As the temperature rises one reaches out for panha. Before you know it, it is the season for ripe yellow mangoes and the mango mania continues. This year with winter lingering well into April the warm spring temperatures were very welcome. With the warm temperature came flowers, birds and of course mangoes. This week I am going to post three different mango dishes that are sure to please. The first is Mango Sherbet.

Why is this a sherbet and not a sorbet you ask? Here is the distinction. In the US, a sorbet is a fruit puree with sugar and water. A sherbet is also a fruit puree with sugar and maybe water but in addition to that it may contains diary or eggs. In a sherbet the fat from dairy is less than 2%. When the fat content goes up it is called ice cream. The book I referred to called this an ice cream. I used non fat milk/condensed milk so I changed the name to sherbet.

Mango Sherbet is a treat on any day. But when it is made with fresh mango it makes it even better. I found this recipe by accident. A couple of months ago I was looking through my old cookbooks and printed recipes when I found a book of ice cream recipes. The book is by ice cream company Dollops and as per my neatly written note on the inside cover I bought it in February of 1993 in Bangalore. This is the first recipe I have tried from it. I am sure there will be many more.

You will need
1 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (I used non fat condensed milk)
1 3/4 cup fresh mango pulp (or you could used canned)
1 3/4 cup cold milk
4 tbsp. sugar (skip if using canned pulp)

Except for the cream whisk all the ingredients until well mixed. Add the cream and whisk it just enough to mix it in. Transfer to an airtight container.

Cover the container and freeze for a few hours. Scoop out and serve.

Enjoy!

Note: If the Sherbet is too hard to scoop leave it in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes before scooping. Return it to the freezer once you are done.

This is my entry for week two, day two of BM #40 for the theme Mango Mania. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#40.