Inspired by one of my favorite ice cream flavors from years ago, this recipe uses extra ripe bananas and high quality dark chocolate for an intense and sophisticated flavor profile.
Years ago I recreated one of my favorite ice cream flavors from college. At that time, however, I simply tossed in some chopped dark chocolate at the end of the churn. Which is great and all, but fudge chunk and chocolate chunk are not the same thing. Fudge, to me, implies a softer chocolate, something you can really sink your teeth into and chew instead of chomp. I’d done something similar for my Sea Salt Fudge Chunk ice cream (which is still one of my favorite ice cream recipes ever). I changed up the process a bit for this banana version. Rather than spreading out the fudge mixture onto a baking sheet, I found piping out 1/2-inch logs of chocolate was easier to to cut into uniform chunks, easy enough to warrant washing the extra piping bag. In the end, you’re rewarded with chewy chunks of rich dark chocolate swimming in a creamy banana custard base. (And yes, I know this recipe leaves you with 4 leftover egg whites. These can easily be frozen for a later time, or if you’re looking for something quick to use them up now, a double batch of my Soft Amaretti Cookies would be perfect!)
This was also the inaugural run of my new ice cream machine. Previously I used (and loved) the KitchenAid ice cream attachment, which worked great, but I hated having to freeze the bowl a full 24-48 hours before I could churn a batch of ice cream. And if I needed to churn two batches (testing recipes I’ll often make 2-3 variations at the same time to see which is best), it was simply too long to have to wait. So I splurged and treated myself to a compressor-based ice cream machine, which can easily churn multiple batches back to back. If you make homemade ice cream with any regularity, and have the storage space (it’s a good deal larger than the freezer bowl versions), I highly recommend a compressor-based machine. It’s a game changer!
To make the chocolate chunks, pipe the chocolate mixture into logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill until set, then chop into 1/2-inch chunks. Keep the chunks frozen until just before you stir them into your ice cream (they will melt rather quickly when left at room temperature). You can also spread the chocolate mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet. Once set, chop into 1/2-inch squares. No piping bag required for this method, but I still found it more cumbersome, and the chunks weren’t as even or nicely shaped. But either way will taste just as good!
So, what are you waiting for?!? Grab a spoon and dig in! Total Time: 24 hours
