Banana Split & Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Warning! This blog post is probably not going to be worth reading for those who count weight-watchers points :).

For generations ice cream has been the perfect ending to a feast meal. Today´s modern industrially-produced ice cream is not associated with feast any longer. However, homemade ice cream is very easy to make. I have a Philips ice cream maker. I must admit, it is usually a "shelf-warmer", which means, I don´t use it that often. But homemade ice cream with fine dairy products can become "a dessert for a king".



Banana Split
Serves 2 non-weight-watching people

INGREDIENTS:
* 4 egg yolks *from happy hens
* 1 1/4 dl (125 ml) sugar
* 2 teaspoons * Vanilla sugar
* 2 dl (200 ml) whipping cream
* 2 dl milk (200 ml)

DECORATIONS:
* 2 bananas
* ½-1 dl (50 ml-100 ml) whipping cream
* fruit and berries

METHOD:
1. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy and frothy.
2. Stir in whipping cream and milk.
3. Do not beat any more, just stir until everything is well mixed.
4. Remove your cooling container from the freezer and insert it.
5. Switch on the ice cream maker.
6. Slowly pour in your ice cream mixture through the hole of the lid.
7. Let your ice cream maker operate for 25-40 minutes.
8. Peel the bananas, cut them lengthwise, and place the halves on a plate.
9. Scoop the ice cream between the banana halves, and decorate with whipped cream, fruits and berries.

* OR cut open a vanilla bean lengthwise, place the bean in the milk, and bring the milk to the boil. Allow the milk too cool, and scrape the seeds from the pod. Then add the milk to the egg mixture.

* use an egg-base that has been heated to a temperature of 160 F [ab. 71 C] , if you are uncertain of the quality of the eggs.

July is National Ice Cream Month in a certain part of the world (USA), and the third Sunday of July is National Ice Cream Day. A designation made by late President Ronald Reagan back in 1984. How do Americans celebrate Ice Cream Day and Ice Cream Month? I am curious. Anybody know?

When in Rome, I did as most Romans seemed to do. I had Ice Cream Day every day. I know, ice cream has lots of calories, but a genuine Italian gelato contains no cream. Genuine gelato has "more taste and less fat". Ice cream has "more fat and less taste".

There are gelaterias everywhere, and the doors are often wide-open.



I checked out the offerings, stopped by the cash register, told them what I liked to have; a cone or a cup, large, medium or small. Then I paid, and was given a receipt. This receipt I presented at the ice cream counter, where I could choose from the flavors. A ceremonious way to buy ice cream, but it was overwhelming to choose from about 60 different flavors.