This ice cream is super delicious and full of things that are good for you. It’s basically a dessert that you can feel good about, plus it’s gluten and dairy free and only sweetened with the maple syrup in that tahini caramel. Oh let’s talk about the caramel.

Every 3 weeks I seem to remember this caramel and start thinking of other things I could have it with. I’ve had it drizzled over normal, plain banana nice cream before and it was good, but I kind of felt that it could be taken to the next level. When I topped brownies with it that was also good but then I thought what if it was all cold and chewy? And then this happened.

Chocolatey ‘nice’ cream (this just means frozen banana blended to a an ice-cream consistency), crunchy roasted hazelnuts and chewy sweet and salty sesame spiked caramel. Get at me now. Or in two hours if I want it to be a better consistency. Patience is a virtue, don’t worry if you don’t have it this will still taste good.

Speaking of patience and dessert and wanting things now. This dessert also came about because I’m trying not to just go buy a dessert when I really want one. I’m trying to make something from what I have in the kitchen. So if I want a cookie, I make it. If I want ice cream, I make it. I worked for a friend last week doing some retail and found myself grabbing sugary things a lot so I’m trying to get back into good habits by getting back to the home made treats only thing. Because I’m not not going to have treats. Life is for living, chocolate is life. So is salted caramel. So is ice cream. So is pizza.

I’ve written about this ‘eat whatever you like, just be the one to make it’ idea before.  It’s by no means how I approach every day of my life. I love eating out and having other people cook for me. When a friend cooks for me it makes me stupidly happy, and when a guy cooks for me it’s I guess how some people feel about flowers? To be clear, I have nothing against flowers (roses are a little lame unless they’re still attached to the bush though). However, if i’m at home and want dessert, or chips, or pie I make it myself. This way I know what’s in it, I can make small changes to increase nutritional value and I figure I’m not going to do it every time I want those things because that’s time consuming.

This isn’t actually that time consuming though. You could eat it all soft serve like and melty and it’d be ready in minutes. Or you can do the refreezing part and have a more luxurious ice cream like consistency. Up to you!

So with out further babbling I bring you, my new favourite dessert…

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs tahini

1/2 tsp vanilla exctract

1/4 tsp salt

2 frozen bananas (freeze in pieces not whole or in their skins)

2 Tbs cacao or cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Directions

In a very small pot (1 cup capacity is excellent *note: if you don’t have one double the quantities for the sauce and just store in the fridge otherwise temperature control will be very difficult) combine the maple syrup the first measure of vanilla, salt and the tahini. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently until a golden colour is reached (a couple of minutes) set aside to cool slightly, don’t allow to harden and stick to the pot!

In a food processor or high speed blender combine the banana and vanilla. Process until a smooth soft srrve consistence is reached. Add the cacao and process until uniform in colour. Stir through the almonds. Pour into a freezer safe container and smooth out to about 1-2m thickness. Drizzle the tahini caramel sauce over the top and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. remove fold the caramel sauce through, don’t worry about chunks, you want these.

Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes and then stir/fold the ice cream again mixing up the more and less frozen bits. Repeat this for 1-2 hours folding occasionally. The stirring will create a creamy texture. When you have reached a consistency that you’re happy with spoon it into bowls and eat.

I like it to be frozen enough that you can make soft scoops of ice cream from it.

HH. x