in the kitchen: banana "ice cream"

So if you're like me, you love ice cream but hate the calories that go with it.  Or maybe I'm the only one who remains incredulous that a mini-sized Blizzard still has over 400 calories.  Hello, it's a MINI!!!

I tried making fake banana ice cream last summer after reading about it in a magazine, and while it was tasty, it wasn't really a satisfying substitute for me.  I missed that creamy, smooth texture you can only get from ice cream.

Then the other day, I saw Rachael Ray make fake banana ice cream on TV, and it turns out all you have to do is add a little milk to the bananas.  Duh.  Why didn't I think of that?  So tonight I tried it, and the outcome looked exactly like Rachael's.  Score.

What was really amazing was that I only used one banana and maybe 1/4 cup of lowfat milk, and I got a bowlful of "ice cream."  Way more of a serving than I was expecting, and it completely satisfied my ice cream craving for a fraction of the calories (along some healthy doses of potassium and calcium, for that matter!).

Interested?  Here's the recipe.  This one's real easy to adjust according to the number of servings...I'd figure about a banana per person.  A few words of caution though...

• Your food processor WILL jump around the counter for the first 20 or 30 seconds of pureeing.  Just be brave and ride it out, and maybe add a little more milk to soften those rock-hard banana pieces.  It might also help to cut the banana into smaller chunks before you freeze it, but I think either way it packs a punch in the beginning.
• It really does take about two minutes of pureeing and adding small amounts of milk before it gets creamy.  Totally worth it though. 
• And finally, obviously the riper the banana is before you stick it in the freezer, the more "banana-y" your ice cream will taste.  Since I don't like a really strong banana flavor, I chose a banana that was just starting to get its spots, and the result wasn't at all overpowering.  A light drizzle of chocolate syrup doesn't hurt either.  :o)

Enjoy!

Linked up to Creations by Kara and A Little Tipsy!