Soft Serve Banana Ice Cream | Step by Step Recipe for Soft Serve Banana Ice Cream

If you want an ice cream with just one ingredient then you should try making this soft serve banana ice cream! As simple to make you should try making this if you want a quick dessert to give the kids. I had planned to make this during Cool Comforts two months back for the Kid's Delights. I came to know about this delicious dessert from Champa when I was looking for ideas to make for Cool Comforts. 

I finally ended up making it for this edition and Kids Delight. Doesn't take much time if your freezer is good. And not much of a recipe.

Cut into pieces

Transfer to a cover and freeze till it is firm.

Pulse it couple of times to get soft mix

Freeze it again

Pulse it get a soft serve Banana Ice Cream.

Sending this to Kamalika, who is hosting this month's edition of Kid's Delight, themed on No Fire Cooking for Kids.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8

Mango Ice Cream Recipe | Homemade Mango Ice-Cream

If Paal Ice was something I made when I was 11, Mango Ice Cream was something I first made during my early 20's. It was during the Mango season that I thought I should make something different with the excess mangoes we had. During the season, everybody is seen eating only mangoes and nothing else. It's very typical for most folks to skip their regular breakfast, lunch and dinner for mangoes. I don't think you would find anybody who dislikes this fruit and I mostly prefer to eat it as such. But having started on baking and other such cooking activities, I was bent on making something with Mango. So naturally Ice cream comes to picture.
 
I had a cookbook featuring Ice cream recipes and I decided on a recipe featuring Mangoes. The recipe called for Gelatin. Till then I had never been shopping on my own. So when I decided to make Ice Cream, I went shopping to get Gelatin, I sure felt very grown up and acted smart saying I was going to make Mango Ice cream. Back home, I spent many hours tolling over making this decadent mango ice cream. It was such a hit, that I continued making the ice cream every season. I think I stopped all such activities when I started working.
 
Yesterday when I was making the Paal Ice, Athamma was telling me that couple of mangoes were over ripe. Though it's the Mango season here, we haven't really enjoyed a good season. These mangoes came from Andhra and were fine. Seeing the fruit, I said I will make something later in the evening. She was recollecting how she used to make mango ice cream herself. After that I really didn't pay attention to what she was saying as I was busy taking pictures.

Imagine my surprise when I went back home to find that she had made Mango ice cream and Peddu already completed most of it! I was jubilant finding that my task was reduced to just writing this post and clicking pictures! She said she forgot how she used to make back then. So she saw me using Condensed milk and thought Milk powder to be icing sugar and had used it also. I guess milk powder made a difference, because this mango ice cream was not having crystals.
 
I beat it couple of times and froze it again. After 5 -6 hrs, it was creamy and did not have those crystals formed. To avoid ice crystals, I had used cream in my Chocolate Ice Cream. Now with just Milk powder I find that it can be avoided. I will have to experiment with it again to confirm.
 
Meanwhile you can enjoy this Mango Ice cream.

Ingredients Needed:
 
Milk - 2 cups
Mango Puree - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Milk powder - 1 tsp
Condensed Milk - 2 tbsp
 
Method to prepare:
Wash and peel the skin from the mangoes. Puree the fruit.
Boil milk to thick consistency, add mango puree, continue boiling. Keep stirring to make sure it doesn't get lumps.. Switch off after 2 mins

Cool, beat the mixture in mixer to get thick and frothy consistency and freeze for 6 hrs.

Remove and pulse for 2 mins and again freeze for 6 hrs.

Sending this to Kid's Delight hosted this month PJ, themed on Cool Comforts

Check out the Blogging Marathoners doing BM#5 along with me   

Curry in a hurry under 30 min: Aarthi, Divya, Jayashree, Kaveri, Pavani,  
Seven Days of Indian Sweets:Gayathri, Priya Suresh,  
Seven Days of Microwave Meals: Monika,  
Seven Days of Regional Specials:Harini, Vaishali, Suma, PJ  
Seven Days of Colorful Dishes Kid's Special: Kalyani  
Summer Coolers: Jayasree, Kamalika, Srivalli

How to make Chocolate Ice Cream at Home | Step By Step Recipe

During a weekday last week, I made this Chocolate Ice cream and kept it for setting, hoping to take the final pictures after coming home from office. Something told me during the day that I may not be able to do that. It was a hectic day and I couldn't call up Athamma to convey this. I hoped against hope that I will have atleast a bowl of that sinful ice cream when I get back home.

Imagine those impish smiles and merry that welcomed me saying they had the yummiest Chocolate Ice cream and it was simply fantastic! Konda even used lot other adjectives even though she only had one bowl of it and wished she could take it for her friends at school.. I knew I was going in for a shock when Athamma looked bleak. I asked her if even a tiny bit was saved for a picture? She nodded no and said the boys skipped their lunch for a wholesome treat of the chocolate ice cream.

I gave them a piece of my mind, telling them that I will not again make it, that I have a big list of other chocolate dishes to be made for them, well of course for the event, but then they won't know that right. I said, this act of their made me not to want to make anything else. They really tired to look sorry. But the feeling of content that comes after eating that sinful chocolate ice cream was beyond their control.

If you thought I must have been smart enough to expect this, and would take a picture ahead. Well that's a different story. Athamma asked if I can't make it again. I was like what, make all that all over again? I told her that I may just post it without the final picture or even put up the final one I have managed to take. Hubby dear was totally against it. He said it wasn't fitting.

So I planned to make it over the weekend but couldn't get the cream. Then I completely forgot and came back home. Finally managed to get it on Sunday and proceeded to make it. Once it got set, I ensured I took a portion of what was required for the final shoot and told Athamma the kids can have a field day when they come back from school.

But the sweetest thing that could happen was being welcomed by Chinnu and Peddu, who rushed in to say I can take how many ever pictures I wanted as they kept Ice Cream for me.

Finally when I got around to taste it, I was reminded of those many Vanilla Ice cream with Chocolate sauce that I used to make during college days. But it was going to be Chocolate Ice cream now!

This is adapted from a Milkmaid booklet that I have had with me for many years. Though I always end up changing the recipe, I always love to flip through that booklet ever so often while making it.

I used a different measurement both the times, I am recording what I did the first time.

Step By Step of Making Ice Cream at Home with Ice Cream Maker!

Boil the milk and simmer till it gets thicker.

Take the cocoa powder

Slowly mix it to get lump less liquid

Add the cocoa paste to the boiling milk along with sugar.

Continue cooking till the sauce thickens.

Cook till the milk is almost reduced to half and the sauce is thick. Normally in most ice creams, they recommend to use evaporated milk. This is exactly what happens.

Using a hand blender, blend it well.

Then goes the condensed milk, blend it together well.

Finally goes the whipped cream.

Pour it into Aluminium vessel for it to freeze fast.

This is after apprx 2 hours, see how the sides are crystallized.  Using the blender, whisk it again and freeze it.

This is after 3 hours ..

After 4+ hours, it would have completed formed.

But for one last time we again take it out to beat it.

See how creamy it turns out.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients Needed:

Condensed Milk - 3/4 tin of 400 gms
Coco powder - 4 tsp
Milk - 1/2 liter
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cream - 200 gms

Method to prepare:

Boil the milk and let it simmer till it thickens. In a bowl, take the cocoa powder, slowly add some milk to get a lump less liquid. Then add this cocoa milk to the boiling pan. Add sugar to the milk, check for sweetness.

Continue to cook till the milk is quite thick and on cooling it becomes thick sauce.

In a bowl that you can use a hand blender, take the chocolate sauce, add the condensed milk. At first speed run it for couple of times. Finally add the whipped cream, fold it into the base

Transfer to a aluminum bowl, so that it sets faster. After 1 hour of setting, remove and whip it again using the blender. Continue doing this for 3 -4 times about every 1 hour or so. Finally put it back to set for over 4 -5 hours depending on your freezer.

Once it is set, scoop out the chocolate ice cream and serve topped with chocolate chips.

Notes: 

• Since this Ice cream is made without the Ice Cream Maker, you will end up getting Ice crystals if enough cream is not used.  This needs to be broken by frequently blending it in intervals.
• My friend family owned an Ice cream factory where I first tasted the Chocolate Fudge. That's where I learnt that they kept churning ice cream ever often before being setting it finally.
• Since milk is used, it is normally reduced to thick form before adding to the base, else you will have overrun. Meaning the Ice cream will start melting the moment it is at room temperature.
• As most things there is a detailed science on how get Creamy Ice Cream done at home without Ice Cream maker. It's definitely not a rocket science. 

Though making Ice Cream at home is a tedious process, it's worth all the trouble seeing the way your kids react after eating it.

For my Kid's Delight ~ Chocolate Feast! Hope you have your Chocolate entries sent to me!

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha & Soumya.