Banana Pudding Ice Cream and Underrated Desserts

I think pudding is a highly underrated food.

Has there ever been a time when downing a spoonful of that cool, creamy, concoction didn't make you happy?

I think not.

Chocolate pudding, pistachio pudding, tapioca pudding- all excellent.

Even custard.  Oh my do I miss that Jell-O brand custard I grew with!

I may have overindulged in that particular treat just a wee bit when I was pregnant with my son.  :-)

Banana pudding, though- that's something special.

While all of the other puddings are generally served with little fanfare, remaining largely under-appreciated in the world of desserts, banana pudding has managed to escape a similar fate.

No, banana pudding brings to mind recollections of family meals and happy times.  Nilla wafers and whipped cream.  Sometimes soft and sweet slices of banana- though you can keep those for yourself.

I'll stick with the pudding and Nilla wafers.

I don't recall banana pudding being a part of my life at all as a child, rather it was when I moved to the south that I learned to appreciate this ubiquitous treat.

It was everywhere.  Every holiday.  Every buffet table.  Every church potluck.

Banana pudding, front and center.

When I saw this recipe for Banana Pudding Ice Cream while searching for ways to feed my ice cream-making obsession of late I knew it had to be made.

It wasn't a question of if, but when.

Oh my.

This ice cream literally tastes like banana pudding.

Seriously.  The flavor is magically captured in each cool, creamy, frosty bite.

Even the Nilla wafers are there!

Banana pudding is nothing without Nilla wafers.

My waistline did not need me to make this, but my taste buds did.

This is one summer dessert that must be made.

Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Modified slightly from Allrecipes.com

2 C heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 C half-and-half

1/2 cC packed light brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 C roughly crushed vanilla wafers

1. Combine heavy cream, half-and-half, brown sugar, and white sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until sugars are dissolved and mixture just starts to bubble, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

2. Whisk together eggs and salt in a bowl.  Whisk in 1 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream.  Whisk egg mixture into cream into remaining hot cream in saucepan.

3. Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until cream mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon and reaches 175 degrees F, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

4. Pour custard over a fine mesh sieve into a bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir mashed bananas into cooled cream mixture.  Chill, covered, for at least 3 hours.

5. Pour banana cream mixture into an ice maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, about 20 minutes.  Fold vanilla wafers into ice cream during the last 5 to 10 minutes of freezing.