Making frozen desserts out of fruit alone is not a new concept, although it has been gaining popularity rapidly in the last few years. It is very easy to see why ice creams made without any yolks or dairy are so loved – they do not require an ice cream machine, they keep very well in the freezer, they are beyond easy to make, and they are fully vegan, with most of them being gluten-free, too. A lovely addition is the vast number of ways to adapt the base recipe, and adjust the ice cream exactly to your tastes and preferences.
One of my favourite ice cream flavours is the Malaga ice cream, made with Malaga sweet wine and raisins, and this is a version that combines that flavour with dark chocolate. With frozen ripe bananas as the base, it is very light and creamy, with a whipped texture, and a delightful, deep dark chocolate flavour, enriched with rum, and chopped raisins. This ice cream can be served soft, right after blending, piped into a waffle cone, and generously sprinkled with chocolate shavings, or can be fully frozen, and scooped like classic ice cream.
Ingredients
350 grams ripe bananas
20 grams pure unsweetened cocoa powder
100 grams dark chocolate
100 grams raisins
30 ml dark rum
Preparation
Choose very ripe bananas, as they are the sweetest, and will yield the best texture, slice them into equal pieces and arrange them on a tray lined with baking parchment. Cover tightly with cling film, and place the tray in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or until the bananas are completely frozen. While the bananas are in the freezer, take the raisins, pour the rum over them, mix well, and let them soak for at least an hour, preferably longer. The more liquid they absorb, the better. Melt the chocolate either in a double-boiler or in the microwave, and set it aside so it cools down before adding it to the ice cream.
Once the bananas are frozen and ready, add them to the bowl of your food processor, and let it run until the bananas turn into a wonderfully whipped soft ice cream. Sift in the unsweetened powder and let the food processor run for a minute or two, until it blends completely. Transfer the ice cream into another bowl, add in the melted and cooled chocolate, and chopped up raisins. Fold everything through gently, with a spatula, either fully, or with ripples of chocolate still visible. You can serve it soft, by piping it into waffle cones and sprinkling with additional chocolate shavings, or pour it into a freezer safe container, cover tightly, and let it freeze for another 30-60 minutes, or to your liking. Yields 600 ml of ice cream.
